A Beaumont mother raises concerns after her son was sent home from school covered in vomit due to a new state waiver requirement.
BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont mother is raising concerns after her 5-year-old son was sent home from school covered in vomit, a situation she says highlights confusion over a new state law affecting parental rights in public schools.
Camila Sanjavier said her son, Oswaldo, walked out of Sallie Curtis Elementary on Wednesday afternoon “already bawling and he [had] vomit all over him.” She said the principal told her staff could not clean him up or provide a change of clothes because she had not signed a new waiver.
According to Sanjavier, on Wednesday afternoon around 1 p.m. the nurse contacted her after her son became sick at school
“At the end of the day, it is your responsibility, and it is your duty to serve parents and children in an appropriate manner,” Sanjavier said.
The form in question, the “Right to Health-Related Services Information” waiver, is required under a state law that took effect Sept. 1. It allows parents to decide whether school nurses may provide medical aid to their children. Sanjavier said she thought she had already completed all necessary paperwork but learned from the school nurse’s office that no signed form was on file.
“Whether or not you’re allowed to give medical care to a child, they could have handed him a paper towel, told him to clean himself up,” Sanjavier said.
At Regina Howell Elementary, Beaumont ISD nurse Christine Carrell explained that without the form, nurses cannot assist with issues as minor as headaches or runny noses. “The stakes are just higher, because I can’t help your child if I don’t have it,” Carrell said.
Even with the form signed, Carrell said district nurses are no longer allowed to provide clothing changes if a child gets sick. “Nurses in at least in BISD district, we no longer assist with clothing changes,” she said.
Carrell acknowledged parents receive many forms at the start of the school year but urged families to ensure this one is returned. “Get those consent forms in so that we can take care of your babies,” she said.
Sanjavier said she hopes the incident sparks changes to prevent similar situations. “Hopefully it will be prevented for future kids and parents,” she said.
Parents who are unsure if they signed the consent form can call their child’s school to request a copy.