A South Carolina family has filed a lawsuit against Greenville County Schools after their 12-year-old daughter Kelaia Turner was driven to attempt suicide by relentless bullies at Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, The Post reports.
The lawsuit alleges Kelaia Turner, now 14, suffered over a year of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of five peers starting in 2021 when she started wearing her natural hair at school.
The alleged bullies reportedly called her “roach” and mocked Kelaia’s appearance, while a teacher, Olivia Bennett, allegedly joined in the taunts.
The bullying escalated to physical assaults and public humiliation, including dumping Kelaia’s clothes in the trash, according to theneighborhoodtalk.
The lawsuit also alleges that the classmates targeted their daughter by playing an offensive YouTube video called “The Black People Song,” which another educator, John Teer reportedly allowed to be played aloud without reprimand.
Later that year, the bullies went on to pour water on Kelaia’s clothes and then threw them in the trash, the lawsuit states.
Seeing suicide as her only option, Kelaia reportedly hung herself in March 2023 and was clinically dead for eight minutes before paramedics could revive her. She suffered severe brain damage and remained in a coma for weeks.
While Kelaia was in a coma, one of the bullies allegedly made their way into her ICU room and snapped photos of her intubated body. They posted the pictures on social media and spread rumors about her injuries, the lawsuit says.
Ty Turner, Kelaia’s mom, accuses the district and nine faculty members of allegedly failing her daughter and allowing the torture to go unrestrained for a year and a half.
“They used to teach us, ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me,’ “Ty Turner told WFY44. “Unfortunately, words do hurt.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in November, seeks damages from the district to cover Kelaia’s medical bills, therapy, special education, and life care expenses, as well as the family’s financial losses and emotional suffering.
The Greenville County Schools has denied the allegations, claiming its staff takes appropriate steps when dealing with bullies.
“We disagree with these allegations and have conducted a thorough investigation and review of each allegation at the time they were made,” the district said in a statement.
“While we do not agree with the allegations, our hearts go out to Kelaia Tecora Turner, her mother, and their family,” they added.
As of Wednesday afternoon (December 4), a GoFundMe to help support Kelaia raised over $70,000.
