School bullies who forced a 12-year-old girl to attempt suicide still came to her ICU while she was in coma to mock her, take her pictures, and post them on social media.
Kelaia Turner, who is now 14 years old suffered at the hands of her classroom bullies and teachers at her Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School in Greenville. According to her heartbroken family, their little daughter endured physical, mental, and verbal abuse from five students, while the school teachers and management seemingly approved of it and refused to take action.
According to the lawsuit filed by the family against the school’s district and faculty members, Kelaia’s ordeal started when she began coming to school with her natural “African” hair, and the students started calling her a cockroach and saying that she looked like a man.
The 2021 lawsuit claimed that Kelaia’s teacher, Olivia Bennett, also joined the student in shaming the little girl, and would reply to the school bullies when they would ask her where the roach was.
The little black girl seemed to have been singled out not only by her peers and teacher but also by the school authorities when after she fought with one of the bullies in 2022, the management suspended just her.
The parents also claimed the school, in the person of teacher John Teer, allowed a racist song called “The Black People Song” to be played and directed at her. If you haven’t heard the song. You can play it below:
The school’s litany of crimes and negligence continued with the parents claiming that the bullies, still in 2022, poured water on Kelaia Turner’s clothes and put them inside a trash bin, all the while, the management did nothing to help.
The parents in the lawsuit said that their daughter hanged herself using a belt on March 17, 2023, and that she was dead for 8 minutes before paramedics successfully revived her. The attempted suicide left the victim with severe brain damage and she was hospitalized for 100 days, of which 31 days were spent in the intensive care unit.
Even in her near-death state, her bullies still made their way to her hospital where they mocked her and took pictures of their intubated victim which was then posted on social media.
What Did The Parents Do While The Reported Bullying Still Continued
According to Nypost, after Kelaia Turner reported that she was been bullied in school to her parents, they took the matter to the school’s management and were looking at taking her to another class. The lawsuit did not however say why the girl continued schooling there, despite the constant and severe torment she endured from the teachers and bullies, until she resorted to killing herself.
Kelaia’s mother, Ty Turner recalled the moment she discovered her daughter’s lifeless body and revealed that she is currently paralyzed. A video posted on social media showed Kelaia lying motionless on her bed and only responding to her mom by blinking her eyes (video below).
In the lawsuit, her mother is claiming damages from Greenville County Schools and staff to cover Kelaia’s medical expenses which include psychiatric and disability care, as well as funds for special education, parent’s lost income, and life care expenses. The damages also cover damages suffered by the girl in the form of low psyche, emotional state, and loss of enjoyment of life.
A GoFundMe has been opened for Kelaia. As of this time, donations have reached over $62k.
Responding to the lawsuit, the school denied the allegations and said they had already conducted their investigation.
