KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Crystal Stanley and Terri Shockley have struck up a friendship of sorts, but they sure didn’t meet under the best of circumstances — and there’s an active children’s services investigation to show for it.

“I was in my kitchen and this little girl just popped up,” Shockley told News Channel 11 of the afternoon of March 18. “She just walked right in the door, and I said, ‘hey, how are you doing?'”

The child didn’t answer — she’s autistic and non-verbal — but Shockley lives right across the street from Andrew Johnson Elementary School, so she had a pretty good idea where the 6-year-old had come from.

At the same time, right before 1 p.m., Stanley had received a ping on her phone app that helps track her daughter. It showed her the girl had left the school grounds and walked, or more likely run, more than a quarter-mile around the perimeter, being “in transit” from 12: 47-12:52 p.m.

The kindergartener was at an “unnamed place” and stationary as Stanley frantically drove toward the location. Meanwhile, Shockley was trying to communicate with the girl.

“She was scared and a little skittish, and I was like, ‘well, let me walk with you.’ I said, ‘would you hold my hand?'”

Shockley headed for the street holding the girl’s wrist because she saw a car coming. She said as far as she could see, the school grounds were empty.

“It ended up it was the mother that pulled up because of the Apple tag or whatever it is,” Shockley said. “And thank God she had that, because she was looking for her daughter and she was like, ‘oh my God, there she is.’ She was just crying.”

Shockley said shortly after that several staff came hustling over to the scene.

“I was livid,” she said. “We were both crying.”

The school’s response

News Channel 11 reached out to Kingsport City Schools (KCS) Tuesday after speaking to Stanley about the incident.

Assistant Superintendent Andy True confirmed it had happened and that Johnson’s School Resource Officer and the school system’s administration “initiated the appropriate and required legal reporting that same day.”

School systems are required to avoid their own investigations in such situations — in fact, a Sullivan County grand jury criticized KCS in a 2023 report for not heeding earlier directives from District Attorney Barry Staubus to “avoid conducting an investigation” on its own.

True said “(b)ased on the information available to KCS, certain personnel were reassigned away from Johnson in non-supervisory duties pending the release of additional information from law enforcement or other authorities.”

A Kingsport police records clerk told News Channel 11 Wednesday KPD’s report on the incident and any other files were sealed because a juvenile is involved and there is an “active” investigation. Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Communications Director Ashley Zarach also confirmed DCS is involved in the investigation but that pursuant to state and federal laws, she wasn’t able to provide any more details.

Barring the gates

Shockley said she listened to the interchange before Stanley parted with her child as the girl was escorted back into the school. She said no one from the school system asked for her information, but Stanley said she provided the police with Shockley’s name and contact information.

She said she wasn’t shocked that a child was able to leave the school grounds, which include a very large grass field covering a few acres.

“I’m a walker through here, and I have noticed that they have now locked the gates that were open on all the sides,” Shockley said. “They had the gates open normally during school hours.”

Asked by News Channel 11 whether any procedural or structural school changes had been made since the incident, True said “(a)ll KCS elementary playgrounds have since been assessed and measures have been/are being implemented to enhance playground security.”

Shockley said she was surprised that a reporter had asked her about the incident before she’d heard the first thing from investigators, considering her role that day.

“I’ve been torn up over this, and I cannot believe that it’s just now being asked about and by a reporter, not someone that is in charge of the welfare of these children,” she said.

Shockley said she doesn’t like to think about what might have happened.

“I’m very glad I was home, and I’m not a pedophile and don’t have a dangerous dog. What if someone left their back door unlocked and they’ve got a gun in the home or drugs or anything that could harm a child?”

News Channel 11 asked KCS specifically how many staff had been placed on leave or otherwise reassigned, and what roles those staff have, but True did not address those specifics in his response.