Teachers joke about disabled girl on Facebook
A FURIOUS mum is taking legal action against a school after staff joked about her disabled daughter on Facebook.
Three female staff members were recorded chatting about six-year-old Willow Musgrave, who has a lifesaving tracheostomy in her throat.
The youngster was fitted with the breathing device after she was born 16 weeks premature and has complex health needs requiring 24-hour care.
The women at St Andrew’s Primary School in Kettering, Northamptonshire, were heard hooting with laughter, with one saying the medical tube ‘made them feel sick’ while another said it ‘looked really horrible’.
One added: ‘You didn’t come into this to be changing tracheostomies.’
The teaching staff were talking before a school trip when one of them accidentally sat on their phone and pressed Facebook Live – so it was broadcast to more than 12,000 people.
Willow’s mum Becky Wardiell, 34, said: ‘Willow can’t defend herself. It’s not her fault she has a tracheostomy. It’s a life or death situation for her.
‘For three adults to stand there and speak about Willow like that is nasty.
‘Willow is the prettiest, happiest little girl. I have instructed solicitors but I don’t want compensation. It’s not about that – I just don’t want the staff responsible back at the school.’
A spokesman for the school said ‘We have apologised to the family concerned and we will be addressing this in greater depth with the staff members concerned.’
The three members of staff have not returned to the school, which has launched an investigation.