A South Carolina mother is suing a local school district, alleging that school employees threw away her child’s severed fingertip after the student was injured during school hours.
In a lawsuit filed by Shameika Freeman, the complaint claims a student “forcefully closed the heavy door shut” and crushed Freeman’s daughter’s finger on Jan. 25, 2024, at Lady’s Island Middle School in the Beaufort County School District. Freeman filed the lawsuit on Jan. 16.
The lawsuit, which lists the Beaufort County School District (BCSD) as a defendant, also alleges that “another student left the classroom without a hall pass” after Freeman’s daughter had received a pass from her teacher to use the bathroom. The complaint claims school employees “did not preserve the amputated fingertip,” and as a result, it could not be reattached during surgery.
The school district told WSAV it is “unable to comment on pending litigation.”
“Defendant BCSD’s negligence, gross negligence, carelessness, recklessness, willfulness, and wantonness caused Minor Plaintiff to sustain serious personal injuries of such a nature as to require to expend monies for hospitalization, surgeries, doctor’s care, other medical necessities, suffer great pain, extreme emotional distress, anxiety, grief, and sorrow,” the lawsuit states.
Freeman is seeking a jury trial and up to $300,000 in damages.
