Indiana mom pulls daughter from school after 6-year-old left behind on field trip: 'She thought she was lost'

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An Indianapolis mother has pulled her first-grader from her school after the 6-year-old was left behind at an apple orchard following a field trip last week.

Dearra Allen says her daughter Cianni Dungy went to Tuttle Orchards in Greenfield, Indiana, last Wednesday with her charter school, Christel House West Academy.

"My mom calls me, and she goes, ‘Hey, the school called, and they left Cianni at the apple orchard,’" she told Fox News Digital over the phone. "I thought she was playing."

Once reality set in, Allen immediately ran out the door, picked up Cianni's dad and rushed to the school to figure out what was going on.

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Cianni Dungy, 6, seen here showing off a missing tooth from her smile.  (Dearra Allen/SWNS)

Cianni's teacher told the mother she did a headcount before leaving the field trip location. Allen responded that if the headcount had been accurate, her daughter would not have been missing.

"They really had nothing to say other than I was right," Allen said after pressing school officials for answers. 

Cianni told her mom one of her classmate's dads was her chaperone during the field trip.

"Cianni said she just kept playing because he never called [her] name. Well, then she said she looked up a little later, and she noticed that everybody was gone," Allen said, adding that her daughter went to look for someone in the apple orchard area prior to going to the pumpkin patch. 

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Cianni Dungy, 6, can be seen at a skating rink. (Dearra Allen/SWNS)

Cianni Dungy's mother told Fox News Digital the 6-year-old was left behind following a field trip on Oct. 16, 2024.  (Dearra Allen/SWNS)

"She said this lady came out of nowhere and was like, ‘Hey, what's wrong? Are you OK?’ and she was like, ‘My school left me.’"

Cianni was then taken to an office, where she was held until her principal went to get her.  

"When we got to the school, she wasn't there yet, and I didn't know that," the mother said. "They was at the school by the time they realized that they didn't have Cianni."

The drive time between the school and orchard is about an hour, Allen said, leaving the first-grader without any school care for about 2.5 hours.   

Family photo of Dearra Allen, Cianni Dungy, Cianni's older sister Anyla Myers and younger brother, Timothy Dungy Jr.  (Dearra Allen/SWNS)

Allen said past field trips involving her oldest daughter and Cianni through Christel House West Academy had gone off without a hitch. 

Cianni and her parents did not reunite until 4:30 p.m. the day of the field trip, Allen said. Along with Cianni, she also withdrew her oldest daughter from the school. 

Allen says she remains confused and feels like she was being lied to about who was chaperoning her daughter at the time of the incident. The mother said two classes were on the field trip at the time, and she believes 50 students attended. 

As for Cianni, her mom said she was "so heartbroken, distraught. She didn't think she was going to see us again. She thought she was lost."

Cianni Allen, 6, seen in this park photograph taken by her mother. (Dearra Allen/SWNS)

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The school district provided the following statement to Fox News Digital:

"Christel House is committed to the safety and well-being of all of our students. As soon as staff identified the situation, they took immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of the student. We work closely with families to provide full support to address any concerns they may have.

The trust placed in us by our families and community is of utmost importance, and we are dedicated to upholding that trust with the highest standards of care and responsibility."