School failed to tell parents about runaway

His parents are relieved, but remain disappointed and angry at the Baltimore City Public School System that they say failed to protect their child.

Neither parent said they were notified when their son left school.

Robert Whitfield said he did not learn of his 14-year-old son’s disappearance until hours later when he came to pick the boy up at school, as he does every afternoon.

After a desperate 10 days in which family, friends, neighbors and police were contacted, Whitfield said he received a call from a Good Samaritan in Southwest Baltimore who had met the boy outside a Checkers restaurant on Frederick Road.

Whitfield and his fiancee, Towanda Adams, the boy’s mother, feared for their son’s life.

“It was by God’s grace that that man was standing there and started up a conversation with my son,” Whitfield said. “My son told him his story and he went inside and called me.”

Whitfield and Adams still aren’t sure where their son, who has been diagnosed with emotional and attention deficit disorder issues, spent those 10 nights.

On Feb. 26, both parents and special-education parent advocate James Williams said, they met with the principal, teachers, school counselors and administration staff and everyone agreed that a one-on-one aide was best for the boy.

However, more than a month later when he ran from school for at least the third time this year, there was still no aide.

“The administration doesn’t have staff that understands what’s going on with kids like these,” Williams said. “They base their decisions on their own experience, not the professional’s experience. And until they do, special-needs kids like this won’t get the services they need.”

City schools were closed on Monday; a message left for a school administration spokeswoman was not returned.

rcassie@baltimoreexaminer.com