CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati mother wants answers after her child was dropped off at the wrong spot.
On April 7, LaShawnda Stevens said her 6-year-old daughter, Layla, was left walking alone on a busy street in Mt. Healthy.
"This is unacceptable," Stevens said.
Mt. Healthy Police said Layla told them she was dropped at the intersection of Hamilton and Kinney avenues, north of her day care center. Her mother said Layla is on an individualized education plan (IEP) and should have been escorted to the front door of her day care.
"And by her being on an IEP they were supposed to do door-to-door, make sure she actually got in there and they didn’t," Stevens said. "They pulled off."
Layla attends Frederick Douglass Elementary School, which is a part of Cincinnati Public Schools. CPS Media Relations Associate Kathryn Robinson said it’s standard for students with an IEP to get curb-to-curb drop-off. She couldn’t confirm if Layla has an IEP.
After the bus driver left Layla, she walked to her day care alone.
"I knocked on the door and I messed with the lock, but it was already locked," Layla said. "I went to go tell a lady that I needed help, and then she called the police."
Police said the day care was closed. Layla said the incident made her feel "really scared and sad."
Robinson said in a statement:
"Cincinnati Public Schools was made aware one of its bus contractors dropped off a Frederick Douglass School student at a closed daycare on Friday, April 7, 2023. The District is investigating this incident as this is not proper procedure and also confirming the deviated stop information on file is accurate with the parent."
Stevens said she is thankful her daughter was found safe but said the situation could have had a different outcome.
"Something actually could have really happened to her, and I know Layla is real smart, but anything could have happened to her," Stevens said. "That lady she approached for help could have took her."
She reached out to Kemper Shuttle Services, the company CPS contracts to take Layla to the day care, about the incident.
Stevens said the shuttle service told her they would no longer drive Layla to day care, and she will need to find another way to transport her daughter. She noted that’s going to be a challenge because she has other children.
"It’s going to be hard," she said. "I will probably have to switch to a second shift."
Officers spoke with the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, who declined criminal charges on the shuttle driver, citing no evidence for child endangerment. Stevens said she wants Kemper Shuttle to be held accountable for its actions.
"It made me feel like they can’t be trusted that this can happen to another kid as well," Stevens said.
Stevens said the shuttle service has been driving her daughter to day care every day for eight to nine months since she is in school.
