Iowa family sues after 3-year-old stranded for hours on bus
A Pella, Iowa, family is taking legal action after their 3-year-old with special needs was left alone on a school van, unattended for hours.
Alivea Cole was left on the van for three hours on April 19 instead of being dropped off at Lincoln Elementary School in Pella.
The family's attorney says the school put the child's life in danger by leaving her unattended.
Her individual health plan requires a staff member to monitor her all day because she is at a high risk for choking.
"Where was that staff member when Alivea didn't show up to school? Why didn't anyone call Tiffany? Why did Tiffany have to be the one to show up to the school and say, 'Where is Alivea?'" said Andrew Heiting-Doane, attorney at law with LaMarca Law Group.
The staff member responsible for leaving the child on the van has since been let go by the school district.
No criminal charges were filed by the Pella Police Department.
The Pella School District told sister station KCCI they have changed their attendance procedures for preschool students and procedures for van drivers as they complete each route.
They are also in the process of equipping each preschool van with a system the will warn drivers of students left in a child seat.
The family's attorney has asked the school to provide some sort of documentation showing they have implemented these changes and claims he has been referred to the district's insurance company and has not received any information.