Hyattsville Parents Demand Answers After First Grader With Autism Suffers Femur Fracture

Daevian Donaldson, a 7-year-old first grader with an Individualized Education Program for autism, was treated for a complete, displaced femur fracture after sustaining the injury at Edward M. Felegy Elementary School in Hyattsville on Feb. 19, 2026, and has since undergone surgery and is recovering at home, his parents say.

The boy’s mother, Daechele Kaufman, dropped him and his twin brother at school the morning of Feb. 19 and said the day began normally. Around 9 a.m. she received a call from the school nurse that Anthony Donaldson described as saying, "He won't let anybody touch him," and "he's just screaming bloody murder." Kaufman rushed to the school and found her son "curled up on his side ... hurt" and "terrified," she said.

Hospital X-rays confirmed a complete femur fracture described by family and local reporting as "snapped and displaced" and "badly broken and displaced." Kaufman recounted that "when I saw the X‑ray and one of the nurses said he was going to need surgery, all these wheels started turning." The child underwent surgical repair that day and the family expects a lengthy recovery at home.

Parents say the injury occurred inside a first-grade special-education classroom while the regular teacher was attending a meeting and a substitute was supervising. The substitute reportedly told the family she did not know what happened. Kaufman has publicly demanded changes to staffing, saying, "They have to at least have two people in the room." Anthony Donaldson said the family is pressing the district for answers and a transfer for his son, adding, "I'm just trying to do the right thing."

Prince George’s County Public Schools said it is "deeply concerned" that a student sustained an injury while at school and opened an investigation "to determine what happened, whether appropriate and timely actions were taken, and what steps are necessary moving forward." The district also placed a staff member "involved" on administrative leave while the review continues; the district has not identified the staff member or released additional personnel details.

No public records released so far indicate police or child protective services involvement. The parents have requested a school transfer and are seeking clarity on supervision and IEP accommodations for the special-needs classroom where Daevian was hurt.

As the district's review continues and a staff member remains on administrative leave, Daevian’s parents continue to demand answers about the Feb. 19 incident and whether school staffing and IEP requirements were followed while their son recovers from surgery at home.