A lawsuit has been filed against school district officials in Greenville County, alleging that bullies harassed and abused a 12-year-old girl, Kelaia Turner, to the point where she attempted to take her own life.
The lawsuit claims that the bullies even snuck into the hospital to take photos of Kelaia while she was in a coma, which they then circulated on social media.
According to the lawsuit, Kelaia was subjected to relentless bullying at Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, where she was called names such as “roach” and “moustache face.”
The bullying allegedly began when Kelaia started wearing her natural hair to school and escalated over time.
Kelaia’s mother, Ty Turner, claims that teachers and school officials failed to provide support and instead joined in on the bullying.
The lawsuit alleges that one teacher, Olivia Bennett, pointed out Kelaia to her classmates, saying, “Where’s the roach?” Bennett allegedly did nothing to stop the bullying, despite being aware of it.
The bullying became so severe that Kelaia attempted to take her own life on March 16, 2023. She was found hanging from a belt in her bedroom and was clinically dead for eight minutes before paramedics were able to revive her.
Kelaia’s mother, Ty, said, “She was cool to the touch, blood was coming out of her nose, and she had already urinated on herself. She had fully committed to what it was that she was attempting to do, and she was gone for eight whole minutes.”
Miraculously, Kelaia was revived, but she suffered severe brain damage and was left with no control over her body. She was in a coma for weeks and spent 101 days in the hospital.
The lawsuit alleges that the school district failed to provide a safe and supportive environment for Kelaia, and that nine individual teachers and faculty members failed in their duties to protect her. The lawsuit also cites violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title IX protections against gender discrimination.
The Turner family is seeking actual and punitive damages to cover medical bills, psychiatric expenses, special education, lost wages, life care expenses, disability care, injuries to Kelaia’s psyche and emotional state, and loss of enjoyment of life.
