17-02-2025
Zachary school district disputes claim child was forced to clean up own feces
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First News) — The Zachary Community School District (ZCSD) has issued a statement refuting claims made about an ongoing investigation into an incident at Rollins Elementary School, where a mother says her daughter was forced to clean up her own feces after being given milk despite having a dairy allergy.
'The Zachary Community School District is aware of misinformation circulating regarding recent concerns leading to unfounded and inaccurate assumptions about individuals within our School System,' the district's statement, released Sunday, Feb. 16, read.
ZCSD urged the public to avoid 'speculation, accusations, and misstatements' and emphasized that the matter is still under investigation. While the district did not provide specific details, it did clarify that the Rollins Primary Elementary School teacher, principal, and substitute teacher were not involved in the incident. Additionally, the district stated that the regular teacher assigned to the class was absent on the day of the alleged incident.
Louisiana law limits the information school districts can release about personnel matters and student privacy, according to ZCSD, which said it would not release any names related to the investigation.
'Our priority is to move forward together, fostering a positive and supportive environment,' the district said in its statement.
The statement comes after the child's mother, Jamisha Augustine, and the Baton Rouge NAACP voiced their concerns publicly. Augustine said her daughter was humiliated after being forced to clean up her own waste and that school staff were aware of her dairy allergy.
'Everything about this situation has been wrong. It's not right. And nobody wants to take accountability,' Augustine said last week.
She and NAACP representative Tia Fields attempted to file a police report with the Zachary Police Department but were told the matter remained within the school's jurisdiction.
ZCSD initially stated that much of the information shared about the incident was 'incorrect' but did not specify which details were inaccurate.
Augustine maintains that she wants accountability.
'I have to stand up for her. She can't speak for herself. So I hope that someone does what is right,' she said last week.
ZCSD has not provided further comment beyond its most recent statement. The investigation remains ongoing.
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