Milwaukee mother says former teacher aided teen in unauthorized departures from home

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee mother is raising alarm after a former teacher allegedly helped her teenage son leave home multiple times without her knowledge, sparking a police investigation and raising questions about child safety and school accountability.

Vannatyie Binion says her 15-year-old son, Aveyon Binion, ran away several times, sometimes with the involvement of Emily Ernest, a Lancaster Elementary School teacher and Aveyon’s former teacher, who she claims repeatedly misrepresented her son’s whereabouts. “I never had a problem with anyone stepping in if he was truly unsafe,” Binion said. “But the way this was handled, with lies and secret plans, was completely wrong.”

According to Milwaukee police, Aveyon was reported missing after leaving his home near 62nd and Stark on Feb. 28. Authorities initially said he was not considered critically missing, but Binion said she remained deeply concerned about his safety.

Binion says the situation escalated after her family moved from Madison to Milwaukee, when her son began spending time with peers she believed were a negative influence. After previous runaway incidents, Binion says she took steps to ensure his safety, including contacting child services herself and participating in weekly visits from crisis workers, therapists, and case managers.

Despite those precautions, Binion says Ernest continued to communicate with her son without her consent. She alleges the teacher picked him up from her home multiple times, provided him with money, and encouraged him to leave without her knowledge.

Binion also shared a video online where she shows Ernest returning Aveyon home from a basketball game hours before he left on Feb. 28. According to Binion, the two had argued that day and Aveyon had recently been on punishment for behavioral issues.

After returning home, Binion says her son became upset again and left without permission.

Later, she says she accessed her son’s phone and discovered text messages and Instagram communications that she believes show Ernest communicating with him after he left. In one exchange, Binion alleges the teacher arranged for a rideshare to pick him up and advised him to avoid sharing his location.

“She told him to disconnect his location and lied to me about where he was,” Binion said. “That’s almost kidnapping.”

The incidents, captured on video and documented through screenshots, show a chaotic series of events. On one occasion, Binion says Aveyon pushed her during a confrontation before leaving the home. Police were called, but she says officers told her they could not immediately respond due to higher-priority calls.

“I gave them everything… videos, messages, screenshots, but they didn’t take immediate action,” Binion said.

Binion also alleges Ernest misled her about Aveyon’s location multiple times. In one instance, she says Ernest claimed she had not seen him, but Binion later learned he had been at Ernest’s home, at a McDonald’s restaurant, and transported to a game by her.

“She actively interfered in my parental authority and misled me about my son’s activities,” Binion said.

Adding to the complexity, Binion says Ernest provided her son with money without her approval. “I told her to stop giving him money because I didn’t know what he was doing with it. She continued anyway,” she said.

The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed the case was under investigation while Aveyon was missing. On March 13, police later confirmed the teen had been located safely.

Binion says her home is a safe environment and that her family has cooperated fully with child services to demonstrate that. “I am 100% sure my home is safe. This investigation will show that,” she said.

Binion says Ernest and another parent involved in the situation should face legal consequences for harboring a runaway and interfering with parental authority.

When asked why she went public, Binion said she felt law enforcement was slow to act. “I had to go live on social media because nobody was hearing me. If the police had acted properly, I wouldn’t have had to,” she said.

She also says Ernest filed a restraining order against her shortly after she confronted the teacher about the messages found on her son’s phone.

Milwaukee Public Schools said in a statement that it is aware of the allegations and has opened an internal investigation but cannot comment on personnel matters. The district says it will take appropriate action once the review is complete.

Binion says the case highlights broader concerns about child safety and accountability in schools.

“This isn’t just about my son,” she said. “It’s about making sure parents’ rights are respected and that adults who overstep boundaries are held accountable.”

As the investigation continues, Binion says her focus remains on protecting her family and ensuring similar situations do not happen to other children.

“I want justice,” she said. “My son was manipulated by adults, and that should never be allowed to happen.”

Aveyon is no longer missing and was returned to his mother’s home on March 13.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.