A Grandpa Picked Up The Wrong Kid From School, And I'll Be Damned If Old People Don't Get Away With Everything

Metro-  A grandfather is ‘very sorry’ after he picked up the wrong child from school.Joseph Fuller said that when he arrived at Edisto Primary School in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, he saw a group of children leaving the gym.

He recognised one, went over, hugged him, and took him back to his car.

Mr Fuller’s wife then handed the child a Happy Meal and off the pair went.

It wasn’t until the trio returned home that the grandmother realised the boy was not their grandson.

‘He had a tooth missing in the front, and I know my grandson did not have a tooth missing in the front,’ Mr Fuller told KPLCTV.

‘Immediately, I brought him back to school, and I am very sorry.’

The boy’s father, Darrin Pressley, blames the school.

‘It’s gross negligence on the school’s part,’ he told KPLCTV.
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The school district has now changed their system for how a student is checked out of school.



I am not saying that the school shouldn't take any responsibility here. They absolutely should change their policy about picking up children because this old couple could have just as easily been some creep lurking around school grounds looking for vulnerable kids. That said, the lengths we will go to to avoid blaming the elderly is relatively hilarious.

Some senile grandparents - that have been entrusted with the safety of a child - are incapable of distinguishing said child from another random black kid that looks nothing like him and THE SCHOOL is the "grossly negligent" party? I don't know if this kid's parents work late or something, but how about we find him a guardian that - oh, I don't know - can visually identify who they are supposed to be guarding? Maybe a babysitter that can pick the "baby" out of a lineup? The school should do a better job with their signing out process to avoid any tragedies from happening, but schools also have enough on their plate without doubling as nursing homes. God forbid they they didn't think twice when watching an old black guy walk up to a young black child, give him a hug without hesitation, toss him a happy meal, and casually escort him back to his car in a way that I imagine was rather non-threatening. Was an administrator supposed to stop a senior citizen - that probably has no idea where his wallet is - and ask for two forms of identification while witnessing an innocuous scene that probably takes place over 100 times per school day? Not for nothing, but that entire scenario wouldn't seem all that suspicious to me either. I know we can't blame the old people, but maybe we could get them a picture of their grandson to carry around at all times before we drag an entire school district through the mud for a simple mistake?