Wakefield Creative School staff member dies of COVID complications

The Wakefield Creative School community is still in disbelief after curriculum specialist Latina Perry died from coronavirus complications.

Posted 11:36 p.m. Jan 11, 2021 — Updated 2:09 a.m. Jan 12, 2021

Leslie Moreno

, WRAL multimedia journalist

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Wakefield Creative School community is still in disbelief after curriculum specialist Latina Perry died from coronavirus complications.

It's something that's difficult to explain to any child.

"Why is Ms. Tina not going to be there, where did Ms. Tina go? We explain to her that she had to go and live with God, and she wants to know why we told her that COVID has been very ugly to Miss. Tina," said Sonya Thomas, who has a granddaughter at Wakefield Creative School.

Thomas said Perry loved her job and her students. But, Thomas said she has concerns about the school.

"We are ushering our students and our babies into a facility that’s contaminated, and the staff and the directors on the inside know that and have not shared that information with us," Thomas, said.

Thomas added that the school sent out one email informing families of Perry’s death, but, never mentioned it was related to COVID -- something she she feels parents have the right to know."We have not received any communication that a staff member tested positive," added Thomas.Wakefield Creative School president Brad Hester said the last time Perry was inside the building was on Dec. 22.In a statement, he said the school is "conducting verbal screenings, temperature checks and are sanitizing and deep cleaning, as well."Hester added that other employees and staff are being tested for the virus as a precautionary measure and that he plans to send another letter out to staff and families with plans for the remainder of the week. He added that he wants to be as transparent as possible.Thomas said she will not be taking her granddaughter back to the school until she feels it's safe."It needs to be professionally sanitized and it needs to be deemed safe," she explained. "It complicates things for us, but we need to do what we need to do."

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