Was it an accident or a case of racist bullying?
A 6th grader at Live Oak Classical School in downtown Waco said her classmates wrapped a rope swing around her neck leaving her with rope burns because she’s one of the only black students at the predominantly white school.
It happened in late April while she was on a school camp out at a ranch in Blanco County. A chaperone who’s also a doctor gave the girl first aid, and she continued with the camp out. The girl’s attorney says the fact that the school didn’t notify her mother about the incident further angered her family.
“That’s unbelievable that’s the way the school handled the situation,” said attorney Levi McCathern.
Attorney for the school, Dave Deaconson tells a different story. He said the girl got hurt in an accident while playing with her classmates on the rope swing.
Deaconson said bullying did not play a role in the incident.
“The school does not and has not had a bullying issue,” he said.
Also being debated between the two parties is who brought up the idea of compensation first.
“It was initiated entirely by the attorney for the family,” said Deaconson.
McCathern said the school asked him to come up with an amount of money that would help both parties move past the incident. He wrote an email to the school saying the following: “We will resolve all claims against the school, students, teachers, parents, the ranch owners, and all of their employees, agents, and representatives for $2,700,000.” In a subsequent email he set a deadline and said if his demand wasn’t met he’d release the story to the media.
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