Child left in locked van for over an hour after teachers missed seat check

A young child was left distressed and screaming after being accidentally locked inside a van at an early childhood centre for nearly 90 minutes, according to a disciplinary ruling in New Zealand.

According to a report by Stuff, the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found Auckland teachers Rochelle Odette Gray and Mee Sung (Michelle) Choi guilty of serious misconduct over the incident, which occurred on December 1, 2022. Both educators have been formally censured and must disclose the tribunal’s decision to future employers for the next year.

The tribunal heard that the teachers failed to carry out a roll check after returning from an excursion to a local farm-forest with nine children. During the unloading process, Choi secured two sleeping children in their seats but did not clearly inform Gray that another child, referred to as Child A, remained in the back row. Gray, who was coordinating the trip, locked the van at 2.39pm without completing a final inspection, as reported by Stuff.

The situation came to light at 3.28 pm when a parent arriving to collect their own child noticed movement and heard cries coming from inside the vehicle. After the staff located the keys, the child was quickly removed and comforted.

In its findings, the tribunal said the incident had negatively impacted the child’s well-being and damaged the reputation of the teaching profession. It emphasised that the child’s age and the failure to follow a fundamental health and safety procedure were central to the ruling of serious misconduct, as reported by Stuff.

Both teachers expressed remorse and issued apologies to the child’s parents. Gray told the tribunal that a prior injury and time away from work may have affected her judgment, while Choi said the experience had reinforced the importance of constant vigilance.

According to Stuff, Kakapo Creek Children’s Garden, the centre involved, sought name suppression, arguing that publicity might discourage self-reporting and harm its community. Choi also applied for suppression, citing concerns about personal consequences.

However, the tribunal rejected both requests, stating that the "ordinary anticipated consequences of publication" did not outweigh the need for transparency in the public interest. It also noted that the incident was an isolated lapse and that the centre had since updated its policies, Stuff has reported.

Permanent suppression orders remain in place to protect the identities of the children and their parents.