Auckland Preschool Teachers Found Guilty of Misconduct After Child Left in Locked Van

Two Auckland preschool teachers have been found guilty of serious misconduct after a child was left locked in a van for approximately 80 minutes following a class excursion. The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that a failure in communication and the omission of a mandatory safety check led to the incident, which the tribunal described as a “one-off lapse.”

Timeline of the Incident

The event occurred on December 1, 2022, at the Kākāpō Creek Children’s Garden in Mairangi Bay. Teachers Mee Sung (Michelle) Choi and Rochelle Gray had taken nine children on a van trip to a local farm-forest.

The group returned to the center around 2:05 p.m. Upon arrival, the teachers failed to complete a compulsory roll call. Gray initially took two children inside, leaving Choi with the van and the remaining children. At the time, two children were sleeping in the vehicle: one in the front passenger row and another in the back near the left window.

A Fatal Miscommunication

According to the Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal, a critical breakdown in communication occurred during the unloading process. Choi referred to there being “sleepers” in the van, but did not expressly communicate that a child was specifically in the back seat.

Gray recalled looking at the child in the front row and asking Choi, “Is that it?” Gray continued to monitor the child in the front and took them inside once they woke up. But, she did not perform a final check of the vehicle to ensure no other children remained inside.

The Discovery and Aftermath

At 2:39 p.m., Gray moved the van into its normal parking space, locked it, and left for the day. Choi remained at work, but neither she nor the two other staff members on duty noticed the child was missing.

The situation ended at approximately 3:28 p.m. When a parent arrived to collect their child and noticed movement inside the van. The parent discovered the child inside screaming. The child was removed from the vehicle and comforted by staff.

Following the incident, Kākāpō Creek Children’s Garden conducted a disciplinary process and a comprehensive review of its trip-related policies. Both teachers have since apologised to the affected family.

Tribunal Findings

The Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal concluded that the lack of a roll call and the failure to clearly communicate the number of sleeping children constituted serious misconduct. The tribunal emphasized that this miscommunication could have turned fatal, though it acknowledged the incident as a “one-off lapse” in professional judgment.