Girl's caretaker banned from school

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - A Chesapeake mother asked 10 On Your Side to help her special needs daughter return to school.

Her daughter, 16-year-old Ashley Walker attends Indian River High School and suffers from congenial abnormalities and has feeding and breathing tubes.

Jacqueline Howard is Ashley's nurse and normally attends school with her to assist her throughout the day.

The two have more than just a client-nurse relationship.

"When I see her smile or give me a hug or see her rock back and forth to tell me she's happy, that makes my day," Howard said.

Ashley's mother, Aubra Walker, told 10 On Your Side she has seen improvements in her daughter with Howard's help.

"Ashley is more receptive to things with Howard," Walker said. "A lot of the behaviors Ashley was displaying before Jacqueline have started to cease."

On a daily basis, Howard helped Ashley with everything from classwork to medical issues.

"When I'm not [with her], I worry about Ashley because she is my client. I see her more than that, actually. I'm here to make sure she is okay and has a good day at school," Howard said.

Two weeks ago, Howard said school officials at Indian River High School told her not to come back.

She says school officials accused her of recording a private meeting between her, Ashley's teacher and a teacher's aide.

"I never tape-recorded anything," Howard said. "I even told them I would take a polygraph test and I apologized for any misunderstandings," Howard said.

Howard admits she has had some issues with Walker's teacher, but nothing that rose to disciplinary action. She said she joked with the teacher's aide prior to the meeting about recording it.

"I said, 'Oh do I need to get my supervisor or call Johnnie Cochran or get a tape recorder?" Howard said.

Howard believes the teacher's aide misinterpreted that joke. Ashley has not been to school in two weeks because her mother said she needs Howard's help and doesn't want to find a new nurse for her daughter.

"That's not an option because I am comfortable with the nurse that I have. Ashley is comfortable," Walker said.

WAVY.com spoke with Howard's employer, who said she is in good standing with them. Walker said she wants proof of the recording or for Chesapeake Public Schools to allow her daughter's nurse to return.

If all else fails, Walker wants her daughter to be transferred to another school system that will accept her nurse.

Chesapeake Public Schools said they could not comment on personnel issues.