One of Avonte Oquendo’s teachers knew the autistic teen had a history of running away but never informed superiors about the boy’s condition before he disappeared from school, a report released by investigators revealed Thursday.
The 12-page report by the city’s Special Commissioner of Investigation detailed everything that happened on Oct. 4 when the 14-year-old ran out of the Riverview School in Long Island City and disappeared. Oquendo, who had trouble communicating, was found dead three months later.
Avonte’s mother Vanessa Fontaine informed teachers about his condition in a parent questionnaire and gave specific instructions not to leave him out of their sight because of his tendency to run. Oquendo needed supervision and “will leave the building,” she wrote, according to the report.
School administrators never got the questionnaire and had no knowledge of his condition, the SCI’s office said. Fontane told reporters Thursday that she was furious that the school didn’t do more.
“Answers, we don’t have any. We don’t have closure,” she said.
The report added that Avonte’s Individual Education Program, which was signed off on by his mother, didn’t provide for one-on-one supervision.
