Parents demand accountability after child injured at Miami school
MIAMI - A first-grade student at Comstock Elementary School in Allapattah was left with severe bruises after an after-school game of tug of war went awry.
The incident occurred Wednesday during a program run by Cayuga Centers, leaving 6-year-old Amiyah Rose Dixon injured and her parents seeking answers.
Willie Dixon, Amiyah's father, described the moment his wife arrived to pick up their daughter and found her being bandaged.
"She kind of got stuck between the slide, the pole, and the kids tugging around the pole, so basically, she was in the middle just being hammered," he said. The family expressed frustration that neither parent was notified at the time of the incident.The injuries, which included rope burns and bruising, prompted the Dixons to take Amiyah to the hospital, where she was examined and cleared of severe injuries. Despite the medical clearance, Amiyah is now left with painful burns and trauma.
Dixon met with both school officials and Cayuga Centers representatives on Thursday.
Leadership at Comstock Elementary reviewed video footage of the incident, noting that it unfolded in just 11 seconds. The father criticized the lack of supervision, claiming the staff member on duty only responded after Amiyah ran for help.
Cayuga Centers, which operates the All Aboard After School program, released a statement confirming the incident and offering support to the family. "We are actively conducting a thorough internal review and awaiting local police findings," the statement read. "The safety and well-being of the children and families we serve is always our top priority."
The program has offered a therapist for Amiyah as part of its response, but the Dixons are seeking accountability for the adults involved.
Miami-Dade Public Schools stated that none of their personnel were involved, as the incident occurred after hours, but they are conducting their own investigation.
Cayuga Centers reiterated their commitment to maintaining a safe environment for children, citing their adherence to local, state, and federal safety standards.
Meanwhile, CBS News Miami has reached out to the program for further comment but has not received a response.
James Phillips is a licensed mental health counselor who advises treating trauma like what Amiyah experienced early. If not, he says you run the risk of misdiagnosis of a child having a learning disability or even a depressive disorder.
"You may have your trauma event and say, oh I'm back home everything's fine. Oh, my child's fine but then a week later they have maybe a behavior in school, maybe they're refusing to go to lunch with their classmates, or maybe they don't want to go to the bathroom by themselves and they're refusing so adamantly that they often get violent or they cry really loudly," he said.
For now, the Dixon family is left questioning how an activity meant to bring children joy could result in their daughter's injury, while the investigation continues.
The school is located in the 2400 block of NW 18th Avenue.