NE RYAN LARSEN: Missing from La Vista, NE - 17 May 2021 - Age 11

Endangered Missing Advisory issued for Omaha boy

Ryan Larsen, 11, was last seen Monday in La Vista, according to NSP.

www.1011now.com

Endangered Missing Advisory issued for Omaha boy​

The Nebraska State Patrol has issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for a boy with autism missing from La Vista, near Omaha.

According to a release, Ryan Larsen, 11, was last seen leaving school Monday at La West Elementary.

DAY 5: EMA expires but authorities still search for Ryan

The 11-year-old has been missing for three days. Local police are calling this search the 'ultimate game of hide-and-seek.'

www.klkntv.com

‘Ultimate game of hide-and-seek,’ search for missing La Vista child continues​

The Nebraska State Patrol issues an Endangered Missing Advisory for a La Vista boy.

Ryan Larsen was last known to be in the area of 78th Street and Terry Drive in La Vista around 12:00 pm on Monday.

Authorities say Ryan has autism, is an 11-year-old white male, 5′ 8″, about 125 lbs with brown hair and hazel eyes. Ryan was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, an Old Navy shirt, and had a polka-dotted umbrella.


“We have no reason to suspect anything other than he walked away,” commented a spokesperson for the La Vista Police Department. “Right now we are just looking for a little boy who is playing the ultimate game of hide-and-seek.”

The official explained that La Vista police has dealt with Larsen before.

“He does like to hide he does like to get away, he likes to hide in small places.”

Larsen is a high-functioning child on the autism spectrum, who police say is non-verbal with anyone he is uncomfortable around. They believe he was in between classes when he slipped away from the school.

RYAN LARSEN has been #missing from La Vista, #NEBRASKA since 17 May 2021 - Age 11

Ryan Larsen was last seen about noon Monday walking out of La Vista West Elementary School near 78th Street and Terry Drive. The autistic boy has a history of running away and may have been hiding from police.

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[Mel70]

I completely missed that. Those details of the school. Of that's not negligent, I don't know what is. Any child who does that should be gone after! Especially one with special needs!!! WTH?! The secretary yelled for him. Really?! I take everything back about the mom. It's because  I missed this. Even when I thought unfavorably about the mom, Whrn I felt it was rushed. No they haven't found him or his body. But I am very sorry to say that this boy isn't alive. And I am surprised they haven't found him yet. I would have suspected a body of water. Since an Autism trait is being attracted to water.

 

[Mel70]

Ow wow. 2 years ago on Wednesday already. When they don't find them or their body fairly soon after disappearing m. And there is no evidence of foul play it seems so hopeless. Reminds me of Serenity Denard. Where were THOSE cameras?! It's good the district put in cameras l. But it took something bad to happen to do so. Unfortunately, It usually does.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Papillion-La Vista schools seek to dismiss complaint in Ryan Larsen case

Papillion-La Vista Community School District filed a motion Friday to dismiss a complaint filed by Ryan Larsen's mother.

www.ketv.com

Papillion-La Vista schools seek dismissal of complaint filed by mother of Ryan Larsen​

Papillion-La Vista Community School District filed a motion Friday to dismiss a complaint filed by Ryan Larsen's mother.

Court documents said the dismissal of the complaint, which was filed by Tammi Larsen, was due to a lack of jurisdiction.


In the 32-page brief, attorneys for the school said: "There is still no concrete understanding of what befell Ryan that would have actually caused his disappearance."

And that: "Ryan's disappearance was caused by Ryan, in that Ryan chose to leave school grounds."

The response said: "Plaintiffs have failed to plead with adequate sufficiency in their claim that Ms. Larsen suffers from distress so severe that no reasonable person could be expected to endure it. Nor have plaintiffs plead with the adequate sufficiency that Ms. Larsen's alleged emotion distress was caused by a sudden injury and not several acts that took place over time."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Judge dismisses lawsuit brought by mother of Ryan Larsen against Papillion-La Vista school district

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit filed by the family of Ryan Larsen, who’s been missing since May 2021, against the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district.

www.wowt.com

Judge dismisses lawsuit brought by mother of Ryan Larsen against Papillion-La Vista school district​

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit filed by the family of Ryan Larsen, who’s been missing since May 2021, against the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district.

The judge said Ryan’s family failed to prove that school officials violated his civil rights under the Constitution.

In dismissing the claim, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon said Tammi Larsen’s complaint “does not allege an unconstitutional policy of the school district,” which is required for a federal lawsuit.

The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning the family could bring another lawsuit forward. The lawsuit, filed in May, was seeking an unspecified amount of money as well as punitive damages.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police say missing Ryan Larsen case still an ‘open, active investigation’

Although efforts made by the Larsen family to hold someone accountable for his disappearance have failed in the courts, authorities are still working to locate the boy.

www.wowt.com

Police say missing Ryan Larsen case still an ‘open, active investigation’​

Wednesday, a federal judge in Omaha dismissed a lawsuit brought forward by the family of Ryan Larsen, the 11-year-old boy with Autism who went missing in 2021, against the Papillion-La Vista School District.

Although efforts made by the Larsen family to hold someone accountable for his disappearance have failed in the courts, La Vista police say they’re still working to locate the boy.

“We will keep working it until we find Ryan,” said La Vista Police Capt. Tom Armburst.

Armbrust says although the case is nearly two and a half years old now, it’s not a cold case.

“Well I don’t like to use the word ‘cold,’ but I understand the analogy,” Armburst said. “We do still follow up on leads and tips as we get them. It is not as active as it was when it initially happened, it’s been some time, a substantial period of time has elapsed, but it is an open, active investigation.”

Nowadays, Armbrust said tips and sightings are much more infrequent, but they’ve come from as far as the east coast of the U.S.

“If somebody thinks they saw someone that looks like Ryan then we’ll call that jurisdiction and ask them to follow up on it,” Armburst said.

But still, Ryan’s disappearance remains a mystery.

“It’s hard to fathom that someone could just literally vanish, especially in 2021, with how many people there are and cameras and cell phones and things like that.”

But Armbrust insists that the department has not given up hope, and they don’t plan to.

“I’m hopeful that Ryan is still alive and that Ryan is out there,” Armburst said. “That’s the message that we at the La Vista Police Department want to put out there. Until we can prove otherwise, that’s the way we are going to look at it and we want people to think that way and think in a positive manner for Ryan and his loved ones.”

Armbrust reminds the community that Ryan was 11 when he disappeared, but he’s now 13. They say photos that are shown of him may be slightly different than how he could look now.

They encourage anyone who sees a person resembling Ryan Larsen to contact La Vista Police and 911 without hesitation.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

District judge considering lawsuit brought by Ryan Larsen’s mother

A district court judge is considering a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen against the Papillion-La Vista school district.

www.wowt.com

District judge considering lawsuit brought by Ryan Larsen’s mother​

A district court judge is considering a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen against the Papillion-La Vista school district.

The matter was brought before the court on Monday, a few months after a similar lawsuit filed by Tammi Larsen was dismissed in federal court.


Her attorneys argued Monday that the boy is disabled and cannot care for himself — and that the school was negligent in its supervision of Ryan by allowing him to leave that day. He walked out of the school through the front door; his mother said no one made any immediate attempt to get him.

In February 2023, she petitioned to have Ryan declared legally dead, arguing that it was unlikely he was still alive due to his disability. But a Sarpy County judge denied the petition that April.

Monday, her attorneys said that because no one has reported finding Ryan since he walked away on May 17, 2021, at age 11, he isn’t being cared for.

Ryan hasn’t been seen since.

“There’s no other conclusion than he is either severely injured or dead,” they said.

Noting that the federal case had been dismissed, the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district’s attorney argued that schools have sovereign immunity and that La Vista West Elementary School was following Ryan’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, when he was allowed to leave.

The district’s attorney said that while Larsen’s family is claiming Ryan suffered harm, “the mere disappearance isn’t enough to meet damages” — and that the claims are speculative since he has not been declared dead. However, it was noted in court that the threshold to prove negligence is lower than it is prove that someone is dead.

The judge said Monday that a decision could be expected in about 30 days.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Nearly 3 years later, Nebraska family of 11-year-old boy not giving up on their search for answers about his disappearance

11-year-old Ryan Larsen walked out of his elementary school in La Vista, Nebraska on May 17, 2021. Ryan is on the Autism spectrum and his family asks anyone with information to come forward.

www.nbcnews.com

Nearly 3 years later, Nebraska family of 11-year-old boy not giving up on their search for answers about his disappearance​

Original. It’s the word that loved ones use when describing 11-year-old Ryan Larsen.

“He is just so original with everything,” his older sister Taylor told Dateline. “One of my favorite things about Ryan is he is so funny -- and not necessarily because he’s trying to be.”

Ryan’s mother, Tammi Larsen, told Dateline that some of his favorite things include Matchbox cars, army figurines, and Legos. But most of all — he loves to play pranks.

“He has a mechanical wind-up bug,” Tammi told Dateline. “He loves to wind it up and let it go in his sisters’ room and wait for them to see it and then giggle when they did. He always thinks it’s hilarious. He also would take it to school to play pranks on his teachers.”

Ryan has three older sisters, Christina, Kayla and Taylor, who all miss Ryan and his silly pranks dearly.

Their close-knit family has been incomplete for nearly three years — since the day Ryan disappeared.


Ryan’s family told Dateline that they are not letting up on their search for answers.

“We feel like somebody has to know something somewhere. He didn’t just disappear into thin air,” Tammi said, adding that anyone who thinks they may have seen something should come forward, even if they aren’t sure it’s anything of importance. “Tell somebody anyways, it could be the difference that the loved one comes home or not.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

District judge considering lawsuit brought by Ryan Larsen’s mother

A district court judge is considering a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen against the Papillion-La Vista school district.

www.wowt.com

District judge considering lawsuit brought by Ryan Larsen’s mother​

A district court judge is considering a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen against the Papillion-La Vista school district.

The matter was brought before the court on Monday, a few months after a similar lawsuit filed by Tammi Larsen was dismissed in federal court.


Her attorneys argued Monday that the boy is disabled and cannot care for himself — and that the school was negligent in its supervision of Ryan by allowing him to leave that day. He walked out of the school through the front door; his mother said no one made any immediate attempt to get him.

In February 2023, she petitioned to have Ryan declared legally dead, arguing that it was unlikely he was still alive due to his disability. But a Sarpy County judge denied the petition that April.

Monday, her attorneys said that because no one has reported finding Ryan since he walked away on May 17, 2021, at age 11, he isn’t being cared for.

Ryan hasn’t been seen since.

“There’s no other conclusion than he is either severely injured or dead,” they said.

Noting that the federal case had been dismissed, the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district’s attorney argued that schools have sovereign immunity and that La Vista West Elementary School was following Ryan’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, when he was allowed to leave.

The district’s attorney said that while Larsen’s family is claiming Ryan suffered harm, “the mere disappearance isn’t enough to meet damages” — and that the claims are speculative since he has not been declared dead. However, it was noted in court that the threshold to prove negligence is lower than it is prove that someone is dead.

The judge said Monday that a decision could be expected in about 30 days.

I have never agreed with schools and cities and so on having immunity. Never will. And especially with what goes on these days.

A refusal by a judge to declare him dead seems to me when reading both posts in aid of the powers that be, like the school.

For what LOGICAL reason after THREE years would it not be likely he is dead? He is a minor and STILL would be if alive, only 14, 11 when he disappeared, and he has disabilities and cannot take care of himself.

I don't even need to know more to say that's a bad judge and a dirty one finding the way that saves from more being allowed to proceed, etc.

When at school, children are in THE CARE of the school and those working there. That's a simple facts. When a child is at a day care the child is IN THE HANDS AND CARE of the day care. They are not immune.

And a child with disabilities?!!

I'll stop there because this has me irate as well. Didn't realize there were a few I missed and hadn't caught up with and finding a few now.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

'It was difficult for everyone:' La Vista police continue search for Ryan Larsen as it enters fourth year

May 17 marked three years since the disappearance of Ryan Larsen. La Vista police look back on the case and discuss the ongoing search to find him.

www.3newsnow.com

'It was difficult for everyone:' La Vista police continue search for Ryan Larsen as it enters fourth year​

Friday marks three years since the disappearance of Ryan Larsen. La Vista police look back on the case and discuss the ongoing search to find him.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Court dismisses lawsuit against Papillion-La Vista Schools in Ryan Larsen case

A district court judge has dismissed the most recent lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen.

www.wowt.com

Court dismisses lawsuit against Papillion-La Vista Schools in Ryan Larsen case​

A district court judge has dismissed the most recent lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen.

Tammi Larsen filed a lawsuit in Sarpy County Court against the Papillion-La Vista school district seeking damages in Ryan’s disappearance in May 2021. The latest lawsuit was filed in March, a few months after a similar lawsuit filed was dismissed in federal court.

Her attorneys argued in March that the school was negligent in its supervision of the sixth-grade special-needs child by allowing him to leave his elementary school nearly three years ago. But the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district’s attorney said La Vista West Elementary School was following Ryan’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, which didn’t require one-on-one supervision, and did allow him to leave.

In addition, the district noted that the federal case — also seeking an unspecified amount of money as well as punitive damages — had been dismissed in November. At that time, the federal judge said that Ryan’s family failed to prove that school officials had violated his civil rights.

 

[Guess Who]

Court dismisses lawsuit against Papillion-La Vista Schools in Ryan Larsen case

A district court judge has dismissed the most recent lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen.

www.wowt.com

Court dismisses lawsuit against Papillion-La Vista Schools in Ryan Larsen case​

A district court judge has dismissed the most recent lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen.

Tammi Larsen filed a lawsuit in Sarpy County Court against the Papillion-La Vista school district seeking damages in Ryan’s disappearance in May 2021. The latest lawsuit was filed in March, a few months after a similar lawsuit filed was dismissed in federal court.

Her attorneys argued in March that the school was negligent in its supervision of the sixth-grade special-needs child by allowing him to leave his elementary school nearly three years ago. But the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district’s attorney said La Vista West Elementary School was following Ryan’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, which didn’t require one-on-one supervision, and did allow him to leave.

In addition, the district noted that the federal case — also seeking an unspecified amount of money as well as punitive damages — had been dismissed in November. At that time, the federal judge said that Ryan’s family failed to prove that school officials had violated his civil rights.

His IEP ALLOWED him to leave???

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

His IEP ALLOWED him to leave???

Possibly said something like 'do not physically restrain him to stop him from leaving'? Most schools are closed campuses and don't "allow" ANY students to leave.
I don't think that should equate to being okay just letting him walk off campus... I can't remember if it was ever said how long it was before they even noticed he had gone?


From the court's opinion document:

In the present case, while constrained by federal law, state law, and district policy, individual schools have the discretion to make decisions regarding the minutia of how a student on an IEP will receive the rights conferred on them according to those statutes, regulations, and policies. It was a matter of circumstances and choice whether a student is allowed to be left alone in a classroom, walk the hallways alone to go to the restroom, the principal's office, or perhaps another classroom, how much individual time a student is to receive, and whether the student needs one-to-one supervision at all times. Certainly, schools have the ability to decide how and when a student will move around a building when their IEP does not mandate constant direct supervision. While a student's IEP may be instructive, there is still an element of choice involved in the implementation of the IEEP and its function.

In the instant matter, the choice of the plans, scheduling, and how to supervise Ryan were exercised, and how to implement certain portions of the IEP and educate Ryan were up to Defendants’ discretion. Defendants had a choice regarding when and how Ryan would move between classrooms, and Defendants exercised that choice in a framework that allowed discretion as to the details of his scheduling and movements, including allowing Ryan at times to not be directly supervised by Defendants” staff. Because Ryan's IEP did not require one-to-one supervision, that meant that there was discretion for how much supervision exists for the students. Defendants exercised discretion by adopting a plan and schedule for Ryan to follow, and therefore they have not waived sovereign immunity under Neb. Rev. Stat.§ 13-910(2) and this claim should be dismissed under Neb. Ct. R.

Court dismisses lawsuit against Papillion-La Vista Schools in Ryan Larsen case

A district court judge has dismissed the most recent lawsuit brought forth by the mother of Ryan Larsen.

www.wowt.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Sounds like a whole lot of red tape stupid b.s. to me. So did it explicitly say he could leave school at any time he wished? And does the school have no rules? Is this really what goes on in schools nowadays? Wow....

Seriously I had no idea. Is this only for special needs students?

I do know what I think otherwise these days of our education system and schools and the bs. Not saying there aren't any good people working in such but as far as the rules and politics? Uhm, hard pass if any parent has a choice in my opinion.

I have my own thoughts on this case and they relate to the school. Usually my thoughts lean towards parents and while I can't exclude that entirely in this one I lean to the school.

Schools should not be exempt nor should govt. and other entities from some things.

And there is NO excuse for lack of cameras ANYWHERE vulnerable people stay at or for a good part of their day including nursing homes, schools, day cares, and you name it. NO EXCUSE.

And parents should have access to see their minor at any time by cam. HE77 my kids can check on their dog in doggy day care any time they please but perhaps pets matter more than children and the elderly, etc.?

I don't have any issue with the parents not winning some money settlement but I do have issue with the school not having a lick of responsibility or being taken to task. I could not have left school at any time that when noticed my parents wouldn't have been called and so....?

It might sound simplistic with all the red tape and rigamarole b.s. but that's the problem these days all the b.s. and lack of logic and anyone just having smarts and decency. WHAT has this school done to prevent such ever happening again?