Student sues Huntsville school security guard over head injury
HUNTSVILLE, AL July 13 2018
A lawsuit has been filled on behalf of a Huntsville student who was injured after an encounter with a school security guard.
Steven Franklin, a student at Mae Jemison High School, had to go to the intensive care unit with a severe head injury in May following the incident.
Video taken by another student shows Franklin up against a wall with security guard John Phillips standing in front of him. Witnesses say the guard ‘took Steven to the ground’ and that’s when the teen’s head hit concrete. A second bystander video later shows Steven unconscious on the ground.
Huntsville City Schools released a statement shortly after the incident stating that Phillips, who was a contracted security guard, would not return to the campus for the remainder of the year due to an investigation.
Franklin and his mother are now suing the security guard and the guard’s employer, EPSCO Inc., for negligence.
“After dealing with traumatic head injuries, Steven and his family deserve justice,” said attorney Joel Caldwell, who serves on the Cory Watson team representing Franklin and his mother. “Students should always be safe at school, and this security guard failed to protect them.”
The lawsuit claims that Franklin suffered a seizure, cracked skull and internal bleeding before undergoing brain surgery.
WAFF
