Mother demands answers after school official drives daughter home without her consent

Detroit Public Schools investigating incident

DETROIT – A mother is asking why her daughter, a sixth grader, was driven home from school by a district employee without permission or notice. 

Shanika Reed said Monday morning was just like any other morning. Her daughter left the house and walked a couple of blocks to John R. King Academy on the west side, but what happened two hours later has her demanding answers from the district. 

“You don’t do that. You don’t do that at all,” said Reed. 

Reed said there are many things she tolerates, but messing with her children is not one of them. 

“He was instructed by the school to bring her home. No one contacted me. No one called me. All I know is that they sent my daughter home with this man,” said Reed. 

Reed said it happened Monday morning, shortly after school started at John R. King Academy. She heard a knock on the door as she was getting ready to leave.

When she opened it, she saw her daughter and a man standing there.  

“This school is ridiculous. You don’t  just send someone's child home with a man that I have no clue about. Then you didn’t even contact me,” said Reed. 

Reed said she didn’t get a phone call or email. She only received a letter stating she was supposed to escort her daughter to school. 

“She is not suspended.  All it is telling me is that she needed a parent. It’s not telling me why she needs a parent,” said Reed. 

Reed has a lot of questions for the school. A Detroit Public Schools District spokesperson said they are investigating the incident. 

District spokesperson Chrystal Wilson released a statement: 

"The District learned that an attendance agent drove a student home after speaking to who he assumed was the student’s mom, when he used the phone number on record provided to the school.   

"The individual he spoke to gave the agent permission to return the student home after it was discovered the student had been placed on an out of school suspension."