KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- More than a week after the death of a 9-year-old Kansas City elementary student, the Hickman Mills School District issued a statement, countering claims that it denied requests from teachers and staff to attend her upcoming funeral and memorial service on Friday.

"The district has been working diligently throughout the week to ensure that all Ingels Elementary staff members who wish to attend Friday’s memorial service of Hazen Workman-Duffy can do so," the spokesperson with Hickman Mills said in a statement on Thursday.

"We have coordinated closely with our substitute provider and internal teams to provide coverage for every request received. No requests to attend the service have been denied."

Hazen Workman-Duffy, a fourth-grade student at Ingels Elementary School i

See Full Page