‘The system is broken’: Cafeteria worker speaks out in death of 12-year-old boy

Garna Mejia, KSL TV

WEST HAVEN, Utah (KSL TV) — New specifications successful nan decease of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson of West Haven.

Gavin’s father, stepmother and relative were arrested and accused of causing nan boy’s decease pursuing years of abuse, including terrible malnutrition.

Jan Davis, a schoolhouse cafeteria worker astatine Kanesville Elementary School successful West Haven, said she and different cafeteria workers grew concerned astir Gavin a fewer years ago.

“He was mini for his age, rather thin, they kept his hairsbreadth buzzed and he often missed school,” Davis said.

Davis said she became acquainted pinch Gavin during nan 2021-2022 schoolhouse twelvemonth and into nan 2022-2023 schoolhouse year.

“He would travel and get a portion of h2o and past he would casually return his cup and propulsion it successful nan trash that was location wherever they dump their trays and past you would spot him digging done nan garbage,” Davis said. “At that point, if that small kid is hungry, I’m going to bargain his luncheon ticket.”

Davis said she and a coworker started paying for Gavin’s lunch, contempt being “advised” by schoolhouse officials not to do truthful because nan schoolhouse wanted to promote families successful hardship to capable retired a shape for reduced aliases free lunch.

Their efforts were abruptly halted erstwhile Gavin’s stepmother, Nichole Scott, recovered out, according to Davis.

RELATED | Charges revenge successful Utah boy’s death; schoolhouse territory had reported family to DCFS

“She was really upset and we were to extremity paying for his schoolhouse lunches. Because if she ‘wanted him to person schoolhouse lunch, she’d salary for it,’” Davis said, adding that Nichole was furious and confronted schoolhouse administrators. “When she recovered retired location was money successful his relationship and he was eating schoolhouse luncheon she said, ‘no more.’”

Shortly aft nan incident, Davis said Gavin came to schoolhouse pinch a chipped tooth.

“You effort to person yourself that he had fallen and chipped his bony but that was different reddish flag, I think,” Davis said.

By nan pursuing schoolhouse year, 2022-23, Davis said she noticed Gavin, past successful 5th grade, was stealing lunches from different children.

“This is what I consciousness nan astir blameworthy about,” Davis said. “Other kid’s boxes aliases sack lunches were disappearing and I conscionable judge that he was truthful quiet that he was stealing different people’s food.”

Davis said she, and moreover schoolhouse children, would stock nutrient pinch Gavin.

Over respective months, Davis said she and different cafeteria workers made aggregate calls to schoolhouse officials and nan Utah Division of Child and Family Services to study their concerns.

“First we went done nan channels. The caput luncheon woman knew what was going on, she said nan main had to return attraction of it. We reported it to nan principal,” Davis said adding that later they besides called DCFS directly.

“We arsenic luncheon ladies and mothers didn’t consciousness for illustration capable was being done and truthful we called and reported it to societal services. We called and reported it 2 different times,” Davis said.

“I deliberation schoolhouse was a safe haven for him… but I conscionable don’t deliberation we did capable for him,” Davis said.

RELATED | 3 family members arrested, accused of causing decease of emaciated 12-year-old Utah boy

“If he’s eating retired of a garbage can, does he person an eating upset aliases is he starving? We didn’t know. When he missed truthful overmuch school, was he genuinely sick, aliases were they conscionable not sending him to school? I conscionable don’t understand erstwhile he missed truthful overmuch schoolhouse why wasn’t anyone checking.”

Davis said she personally called DCFS to travel up connected their complaints and whether immoderate action was taken by societal workers.

“I was told I would ne'er cognize what was going connected because of nan family business and nan kid situation,” Davis said of being incapable to person updates connected nan lawsuit because it progressive a child.

By August 2023, Gavin stopped attending schoolhouse for his sixth-grade year.

“The stepmother had pulled him retired of schoolhouse to homeschool him,” Davis said. “I honestly was hoping that societal services had removed him from nan location and that was conscionable nan excuse they had fixed america astatine nan school.”

The Weber School District declined to reply circumstantial questions but pointed to a erstwhile connection released connected July 19, successful which they confirmed that Gavin stopped attending schoolhouse successful August.

In their statement, nan schoolhouse territory besides confirmed that aggregate complaints were revenge by schoolhouse employees.

“Prior to nan student being withdrawn from nan district, aggregate complaints were revenge by schoolhouse labor pinch nan Utah Division of Child and Family Services related to suspected maltreatment and neglect of this child,” nan schoolhouse district’s connection said.

The Weber School District connection connected 12-year-old’s Gavin Peterson death. | The Weber School District

The adjacent clip Davis heard news of Gavin was done media reports arsenic connection of his decease sewage out.

On July 9, deputies were called to nan Peterson location wherever they recovered Gavin connected nan bath level aft being “ill for respective days, experiencing vomiting, and was now not breathing,” according to constabulary documents.

Gavin was taken to a infirmary wherever he was pronounced dormant and doctors reported that his assemblage “showed malnutrition to nan constituent nan child’s soul organs had unopen down completely,” nan constabulary booking affidavit stated.

“I was heartbroken. I should’ve done more, but I shouldn’t do much conscionable for him. I should do much for different children retired location that are falling betwixt nan cracks and that is why I americium present today,” Davis said.

Davis said she was instantly suspicious of foul play by Gavin’s stepmother pursuing news of his decease connected July 9.

“It seemed for illustration a agelong clip earlier we heard news astir nan arrest,” Davis said. “I honestly kept reasoning successful nan backmost of my mind that nan stepmother and dada had gotten distant pinch murder.”

Shane Peterson, Gavin’s father, and Scott were booked into nan Weber County Jail connected July 17 for investigation of kid maltreatment homicide, 2 counts of aggravated kid abuse, and kid endangerment. Scott is besides facing charges for investigation of obstruction of justness and supplier possession.

Tyler Peterson, Gavin’s brother, was arrested connected July 18 for investigation of kid maltreatment homicide, 2 counts of aggravated kid maltreatment and obstruction of justice.

“I conscionable dream their clip comes and they salary for nan crime that they person committed to this small boy,” Davis said.

Inside Gavin’s location deputies allegedly discovered nan horrific conditions successful which Gavin was allegedly kept and starved earlier he died.

However, Jan is besides questioning DCFS’ consequence and whether capable was done by schoolhouse and authorities officials to thief him.

“The strategy is broken, not only (DCFS), but I consciousness for illustration nan schoolhouse strategy is broken. I consciousness for illustration personification should person followed up connected his homeschooling, done a location cheque connected him conscionable to find retired what was going on.”

A organization vigil was held for Gavin Tuesday nighttime astatine nan religion located astatine 2333 South and 2700 West successful West Haven. It started astatine 8:45 p.m. and ran until 11 p.m.

People clasp candles astatine nan vigil held for Gavin Peterson, a 12-year-old boy who died aft years of suspected neglect and abuse. | KSL TV