An incident at a Texas middle school field trip has sparked anger, outrage and a $3 million lawsuit. The Live Oak Classical School of Waco, Texas were on a field trip to a nearby ranch when the incident occurred. Three young white boys grabbed a 12 year old black girl, put a rope around her neck, and proceeded to drag her around while teachers and other adult supervisors just stood around and watched.
The attorney for the girl’s family, Levi McCathern, stated that the young girl had been the persistent victim of bullying for a long time yet the school did nothing other than look the other way. The girl’s mother was horrified as she explained that her daughter’s neck looked like it had been torn off and then sewn back on.
The attack happened while the school children were on a field trip to the Germer Ranch located near Waco. Apparently, the young girl was watching some of her school mates play on some rope swings when she was suddenly grabbed from behind by the three boys, had a rope wrapped around her neck, and was dragged around the surrounding area. Witnesses said that none of the adults did anything to interfere with the attack.
The family’s lawsuit against the school system claims gross negligence as well as the intentional infliction of emotional distress. There is no word yet with regard if criminal battery charges will be filed against the three boys. School officials claim that the incident was no big deal. It was just children being playful. It was just boys being boys.
The young girl’s mother had some email exchanges with the dean of the school, Allison Buras. This is what Buras wrote to her in one email:
“It sounds like he may have pushed on the back of her leg to make her leg buckle, which is something the kids sometimes do. Rarely is that done out of meanness but more out of a desire for sport.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Levi McCathern