South Carolina middle-school bullies who pushed a 12-year-old woman to hold herself visited her later on the ICU and took pictures of the sufferer to mock her on social media, based on a brand new lawsuit.
Kelaia Turner, now 14, suffered greater than a yr of bodily and verbal abuse by the hands of 5 friends on the Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Center College in Greenville, her heartbroken household wrote in a lawsuit in opposition to the district and 9 school members who had been accused of negligence.
Seeing suicide as her solely means out, Kelaia hanged herself in 2023 and was useless for 8 minutes earlier than paramedics may revive her, with Kelaia struggling extreme mind harm and remaining in a coma for weeks.
Whereas Kelaia was within the coma, one of many bullies made their means contained in the ICU and snapped pictures of the intubated woman, posting the photographs on social media and spreading rumors about her accidents, the lawsuit says.
Ty Turner, Kelaia’s mom, mentioned she now desires justice and is focusing on the district for allegedly failing her daughter and permitting the bullying to go unrestrained for a yr and a half.
“They used to teach us, ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me,’ “ the mom told WFY44. “Unfortunately, words do hurt.”
The lawsuit claims the bullying began in 2021 when Kelaia started sporting her pure hair to highschool, with college students calling her “roach” and saying she seemed “like a man.”
Kelaia’s instructor, Olivia Bennett, allegedly joined in on the mockery and would acknowledge the sufferer when the bullies would ask her, “Where’s the roach?”
Together with usually insulting Kelaia and pushing her, one of many bullies verbally assaulted her once they discovered her dad and mom spoke to highschool officers in regards to the torment and deliberate to maneuver her to a different class.
Issues solely escalated in 2022 when Kelaia obtained right into a struggle with one of many bullies, with faculty officers opting to droop her however not her tormentor, based on the lawsuit.
On Could 23, 2022, Kelaia’s dad and mom mentioned, college students focused their daughter by taking part in an offensive YouTube video known as “The Black People Song,” which instructor John Teer allegedly allowed to be performed aloud with out reprimand over the video’s racist nature.
Later that yr, the bullies went on to pour water on Kelaia’s garments after which threw them into the trash, the lawsuit states.
By way of all this, the stricken little one’s dad and mom allege that the district did not take any significant motion to cease the torment, with Kelaia opting to hold herself from a belt in her bed room March 17, 2023.
“She was cool to the touch, blood was coming out of her nose,” her mom recalled of her daughter’s limp physique afterward. “She had fully committed to what it was that she was attempting to do, and she was gone for 8 whole minutes.”
Kelaia ended up struggling extreme mind harm and has been left with no management over her physique.
The lawsuit, which was filed in November, seeks damages from the district and school members to cowl Kelaia’s medical payments, psychiatric bills, particular training, dad and mom’ misplaced wages whereas taking good care of her, life care bills, incapacity care, harm to her psyche and emotional state and lack of enjoyment of life.
Greenville County Faculties has denied the allegations and claims its employees takes the suitable steps when coping with bullying incidents.
“We disagree with these allegations and have conducted a thorough investigation and review of each allegation at the time they were made,” the district mentioned in an announcement.
“While we do not agree with the allegations, our hearts go out to Kelaia Tecora Turner, her mother, and their family,” officers added.
As of Tuesday morning, a GoFundMe to assist assist Kelaia raised greater than $15,000.
