21-02-2025
OSDE investigating teacher after Oklahoma foster child left outside in viral video
An Oklahoma teacher who is also a foster parent is under investigation after a video of a child standing outside with no coat in freezing temperatures went viral on social media.
In the video taken by a neighbor, the child is seen standing outside of the home in pink pajamas calling to be let back inside.
The neighbor, Rhet Wike, told News 6 that he saw the girl standing at the backdoor of the home and she was "trying her hardest to keep her foot off the ground."
"[She was saying] 'I want to go back inside, I'm cold. I'm cold. I'm cold," Wike told News 6 in an interview. After so, he contacted law enforcement to the scene.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education said in a news release Friday that they are investigating the incident alongside the Haskell Police Department and Oklahoma's Department of Human Services.
The child is 5 years old, OSDE officials said.
"The safety and well-being of our students are our top priority," said State Superintendent Ryan Walters in the statement. "lf an educator shows signs of abusive behavior or fails to ensure the safety of children, whether inside or outside the classroom, they have no place in our schools. OSDE is committed to taking swift and decisive action to protect Oklahoma students."
OSDE officials said that after learning the individual was a teacher, the department filed a report with Awareity and launched an investigation into the teacher's actions.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma foster child left outside sparks outrage; teacher investigated
