CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake parent told News 3 she's proud of her child's response after she says a photographer made inappropriate comments to her child. The principal for Chittum Elementary school confirmed a hired photographer was escorted off of school property earlier this week.
Rachel Fjeld said her son was sitting for his school picture when he met a hired photographer.
Watch: Photographer removed after making inappropriate comments to students.
"She asked him, 'can I steal your identity?' His response was just, 'no.' Her next question was, 'can I eat your soul?' And, you know, when he was expressing it to us he was crying, he was very upset and he said 'no, no," explained Fjeld.
She said the photographer mentioned being a demon.
"Her next question was, 'well, then what can I eat?' He told me, he said, 'mommy I didn't know what to say so I said the first thing that came to mind was, 'you can have noodles, you can eat noodles,'' and her response was, 'demons don't eat noodles,'" said Fjeld.
The whole experience was a concern to Fjeld.
Watch: Photographer escorted off Chittum Elementary campus after 'inappropriate comments' to students
"You can say all the things you want to say about good vs evil, God vs the devil, or demons or whatever but at the end of the day what was said was not funny and it wasn't okay. It was a child in an uncomfortable situation," said Fjeld. "I know people are trying to say, 'oh she's just joking. It was just funny.' But it's not funny. That's not funny. And what that doesn't do is put any child at ease, it just scares them."
She says her child told a teacher and wrote out a report.
"It went to the principal who is amazing, I will say. The school handled it – we so appreciate it. They were very quick they immediately escorted her off the premises, they called us," said Fjeld.
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Grateful of the school's response, she said that it confirmed her son did the right thing, especially as, she said, other kids said similar things.
"It's a very scary situation to be a parent and feel like, and know that your child was put in an uncomfortable situation. But then hearing that he was so bold to know this isn't okay, something isn't right, we need to say something. And he did," said Fjeld. "I have so much confidence now that if he is ever put in a situation that he doesn't feel comfortable, that he knows isn't right, he will absolutely stand up and say something."
She's hopeful the incident will encourage other parents to talk to their kids about saying something when things don't feel right.
"Whether it's good or bad, you have to have conversations, you have to have open dialogue. You have to teach them to stand up for themselves," said Fjeld.
The school's principal confirmed the photography company is investigating the incident.
In an email to News 3 Friday, Shutterfly, which owns the photography company Lifetouch, sent a statement on the incident.
Our number one priority is the safety of every student we photograph. We have numerous policies and procedures in place to ensure that safety, including training and background checks on all of our photographers. We take any allegation about a photographer very seriously, and have conducted a thorough investigation. The photographer in question is no longer employed with the company.
