HYATTSVILLE, Md. — The parents of a 7-year-old first grader with autism are demanding answers from Prince George’s County Public Schools after their son suffered a severe leg fracture while at school — an injury no one has been able to explain.
Daevian Donaldson, a student at Felegy Elementary School in Hyattsville, is recovering from surgery after his femur was snapped and displaced during class last Friday, according to his parents, Daechele Kaufman and Anthony Donaldson.
RELATED | Prince George’s schools faces $150 million budget realignment: Superintendent explains
Kaufman said the day began normally as she dropped Daevian and his twin brother off for first grade. Around 9 a.m., she received an alarming phone call from the school.
“They just said he was on the floor screaming and didn’t want anyone to touch him,” Kaufman said.
She rushed to the school and found her son with obvious trauma to his leg. Neither staff nor Daevian — who communicates differently because he is on the autism spectrum — could explain how the injury occurred, she said.
Doctors later confirmed the severity of the injury through X-rays.
“When I saw the X-ray and one of the nurses said he was going to need surgery, all these wheels started turning,” Kaufman said.
Daevian Donaldson, a student at Felegy Elementary School in Hyattsville, is recovering from surgery after his femur was snapped and displaced during class, according to his parents. (7News)
The parents said they later learned Daevian’s regular teacher was attending a meeting at the time, and the special-needs classroom was being supervised by a substitute. They said no clear explanation has been provided for how a child could suffer such a serious injury without staff noticing what happened.
“It’s definitely neglect,” Kaufman said. “You can’t turn away and come back and say, ‘Oh, you fell,’ for a major injury like that. That’s not acceptable.”
After the family raised concerns publicly, Prince George’s County Public Schools issued a statement saying the district is investigating the incident and has placed the staff member involved on administrative leave.
Anthony Donaldson said that response does not go far enough.
“It needs to be more than one person on administrative leave,” he said. “Several people need to be evaluated on how they’re trained, or they need to be fired.”
Daevian is continuing to recover after surgery but is still experiencing pain, his parents said. As the interview concluded, the 7-year-old quietly asked for his medication.
The family said they want accountability — and assurances that other children, especially those with special needs, will be kept safe.
