'It's pure neglect': Ontario mother says school left her five-year-old son outside in the cold
CTV
The mother of a five-year-old boy who was allegedly left out in the cold following outdoor playtime at an Ontario public school last month is accusing staff members of neglect.
"The whole situation is upsetting. It's hard to comprehend how this happens in schools," Peterborough resident Jennifer Hopkins told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.
On Jan. 24, Hopkins said her son was playing with his classmates at R.F. Downey Public School in Peterborough during outdoor playtime in a designated student area. Once playtime ended, Hopkins said her son discovered that the doors to re-enter the school were locked.
Hopkins said her son managed to open up a nearby gate and decided to walk himself home. The preschooler was spotted by a man who accompanied the boy around 1 p.m.
Temperatures in Peterborough on that day reached a high of – 8 degrees Celsius and dipped as low as – 12 degrees at the time of the incident.