In what is being described by the school as an “accident,” a group of white students allegedly wrapped a rope around a 12 year old black girl’s neck and dragged her to the ground, causing a disturbing abrasion around her neck.
The family is suing the school for what they claim is failure to ensure the safety of their child.
The family is seeking $3 million in damages from Live Oak Classical School for what they claim are repeated instances of the school failing to protect their daughter from violent and aggressive students.
The family has brought forward more than one instance of bullying from a group of white male students, but the school has defended the boys’ actions, saying that rather than being malicious, the boys simply involved the girl in “accidents” and “play.”
The most recent “accident” allegedly occurred in April on a school field trip when a group of boys wrapped a rope swing around the girl’s neck. The evidence of injury to the girl is clear in photos but the school is currently arguing the intent of the boys.
The girl’s parents were not notified when the incident occurred and when her parents saw her injuries, she was taken to the hospital where doctors notified police.
The school claims that it investigated the incident fully, talking with other students and faculty members before determining that “the injuries suffered by the student were the result of an accident.”
The family’s attorney has said that they believe the incident to have been “racially motivated” due to the “severity and specificity” of the injury the girl sustained.
The school seems particularly defensive of what seems very clearly to be a malicious attack. The attorney representing the school seemed to question the family’s motives when he remarked that, “the family hired a lawyer who threatened the school with racial allegations less than four days (including a weekend) after the field trip.”
It would seem that if a family believed that a near hanging occurred to their black daughter while at school where she should be safe, and with barely a comment from the school on the attack, it would be completely reasonable to assume the worst and take the necessary steps to hold the school accountable.
