Chief Fletcher finds missing 5-year old; parents upset at school administrators

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee(WDEF) – Parents of a 5-year old student at Brown Academy are trying to figure out why no adults noticed their child leaving the building and wandering into the streets.

It happened Tuesday morning.

A tearful Fletcher Pearson told  News 12 that his 5-year old daughter Nataiha had quite the adventure  after she was dropped off at Brown Academy.
 
"My daughter got off the school bus, ate breakfast went into the bathroom, stayed until the bell rung. After the halls were clear, she came out of the bathroom and pressed the elevator button down," Pearson said.
 
What happened next came as a major shock to the girls parents.
 
"She got off the elevator, walked past 20 classrooms and also a desk that was besides the exit door  and went out the door onto ML King Boulevard," Pearson said.
 
In fact, the girl walked six blocks away from the school until Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher and another officer noticed the child wandering in streets. According to Pearson, she had been away from school grounds for two hours.
 
"On top of that, the school had no idea she was gone. If the officer never brought her back to school, they would have never noticed. Even her homeroom teacher marked her absent," Pearson said
 
In an effort to find out how his 5-year old was able to walk out of school without being noticed by an adult,  Pearson met with Principal Emily Baker. During their meeting, he recorded this cell phone video as the principal showed him the route his daughter took from the time she left the bathroom to the time she walked out of the building.
 
"I fell kind of funny knowing that my child isn’t safe in school custody. I just don’t want the next child to experience this or the next mother because the next child may not be so lucky," Pearson said.

News 12 called the school and asked to speak to Principal Baker and the assistant principal. Neither administrator would take the call. A woman in the front office who answered the phone told News 12 their would be no comment on the matter.