SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – An Upstate mother says her 7-year-old was allowed to go home, from school, with the wrong parent on Wednesday. 

According to the Spartanburg District 7 spokesperson a student at Jesse Boyd Elementary School was mistakenly in the wrong carpool line with a friend and ended up getting into the vehicle. 

The carpool drop-off and pick-up system at Jesse Boyd Elementary has never failed according to the principal. The school has strict guidelines and staff in place to make sure kids make it home safely. 

Like many parents, Madison Owens is very protective over her children. She says she drops them off and picks them up from school everyday. On Wednesday, what should have been a quick trip through the carpool line, turned into a parent’s worst nightmare. 

“My son got into the car and I’m like where is sissy? And he’s like I haven’t seen her and usually they sit together in the hall.” Owens told 7News. “And they (the staff) were like maybe she’s inside of a bathroom… my thing is if she’s inside of a bathroom an adult should be aware of that. If she was in a room with a teacher, which is the next thing they said to me, then an adult should be aware of that.” 

Owens says she began to panic when her 7-year-old daughter was nowhere to be found. 

“Then my daughter’s teacher, that’s when she decided to come out, and [she] says oh she got into a vehicle with her friend.” Owens said. 

It was was happened next, that Owens says bothers her the most. “And then after that Dr. Rose says I can offer you an address or a phone number. Like an address or a phone number? This is not a missing animal. This is my child.” 

Owens says the principal did call the other child’s parent. That’s when she learned her 7-year-old made it home safely, because she was smart enough to give her friend’s mother directions to their house. 

According to a statement from District 7 an individual made a mistake and procedure was not followed. 

Full statement: 

“Despite our vigilance across the District in all of our protocols related to the safety of our children, this was, indeed, a mistake on our part and the result of an individual not following proper procedure. Thankfully, the situation was quickly resolved and the child in question was never in any danger. Our team at Jesse Boyd has addressed the matter and has revisited the procedures we have in place to ensure this does not happen again.”  

Sally Jeter Gregg, Chief Communications Officer Spartanburg District 7

That human error allowed Owens’ second grader to get into a car with one of her classmates, without her mother’s written consent. 

“Anyone can pull up to that school and say I need Laney, and my daughter will be getting into a car with somebody she doesn’t even know,” Owens said. 

Owens wants to see school leaders reassess their current protocol, because the nightmare she lived through is not something she wants another parent to live through. 

“The first thought was just run and hug her, because what is she never came home.” Owens told 7News. 

A District 7 spokesperson tells 7News written consent is standard procedure whenever a child is to be picked-up by someone other than others named on the students authorized pick-up list. 

School leaders say tagging students has been brought up in the past, but it’s not known if they will revisit the concept.