Eight-year-old dies after choking at Texas school cafeteria

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 00:04 · Archive

An eight-year-old girl choked to death in her school cafeteria in Texas in April.

Adrian Thompson, eight, choked to death in the cafeteria at Velma Penny Elementary School in Lindale, east Texas, on 15 April. Surveillance footage released at her parents' request shows Adrian getting up from her lunch table at 11.40am while coughing into a napkin. She then approached a staff member and tapped her on the arm.

According to a Texas Rangers report, the employee believed Adrian was sick and guided her to a rubbish bin. The staff member asked if the girl wanted to go to the restroom. Adrian indicated she did, and was sent out of the cafeteria through the double doors.

Her parents have questioned why school staff did not do more to help. 'We feel like people need to know about this,' her mother, Anna Thompson, told KHOU 11. Texas Rangers cleared Velma Penny staff of wrongdoing and no charges were ever brought.

How it is being reported

• 8-year-old girl chokes to death at Texas schoolAn 8-year-old girl choked on lunch in her Texas elementary school cafeteria and died in April. Jason Allen reports on the newly-released footage.CBS News · 29 Oct, 23:45
• Parents share footage of their terrified daughter, 8, choking to death on food in school cafeteria as they claim that not enough was done to save herIn video from April 15, Adrian Thompson is seen running up to an employee at the school while struggling to breathe, before bolting down the corridors in a panic.Daily Mail · 28 Oct, 21:06

In this story: Adrian Thompson · Anna Thompson · Velma Penny Elementary School · Lindale · Texas · Texas Rangers

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