Happy Birthday Horror: West Chatham Elementary School parent calls school to say she would be dropping off cupcakes for her daughter and learned her daughter was gone.

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A mother says she arrived at her daughter’s elementary school to drop off birthday cupcakes and learned her daughter had already been picked up by someone not authorized to do so.

Jacqueline Beauchamp’s daughter attends West Chatham Elementary School.

The school had no signature or name on file for who picked up her daughter. The adult was not on the parents’ pre-approved pickup list.

Beauchamp confirmed the unauthorized adult was her daughter’s step sister, who Beauchamp said the family had not been in contact with for more than four years. Beauchamp said the two are involved in an undisclosed family matter.

Beauchamp said the only response she received from the school was an apology.

“We have to let the school know that this is not acceptable at all. I don’t feel my child is safe and Chatham County School. Nobody should just be able to walk in the school and take somebody’s child out of school without being on that list what is the list for so we need to utilize that. When our kids are in school it’s supposed to be safe. Nobody supposed to sign nobody child out without parents permission, and being on that list,” Beauchamp said.

Beauchamp filed a police report for the situation. She said she will continue to press the school system for answers on how this happened.

SCCPSS Statement on Incident at West Chatham Elementary School

On Thursday, September 3rd, a first grade student at West Chatham Elementary School was celebrating a birthday and had multiple visitors dropping off goodie bags. The child’s stepsister arrived with cupcakes and Chick Fil A and the student was allowed to eat lunch in the parking lot with this relative. Staff have been reminded of sign out protocols and the importance to validate approved adults who have authority to sign out a student. Never did the student leave school property.

When the child’s mother arrived at school a few minutes later to drop off birthday treats and discovered the child was not in the classroom, she was understandably upset. The student was subsequently located walking back toward the school from the relative’s vehicle in the parking lot.

We regret that this incident happened and have taken steps to insure it does not happen again. An office memo was issued to all of the front office staff about verifying ids in Power School and the matter was handled administratively with responsible staff.