Mom Sues Cobb District After Son Dies On School Trip: ICYMI

MARIETTA, GA -- The mother of a 14-year-old student is suing the Cobb County School District in the wake of her son's death on a school trip to Belize.

Tomari Jackson died while swimming with fellow students from North Cobb High School on a school-sponsored trip in February 2016. His mother Adell Forbes claims that Cobb school officials have been tight-lipped about her son's death and that she has been waiting on a thorough explanation on how her son drowned for the past 14 months.

Forbes filed suit last month, accusing the school district, among others of “willful, wanton and unconscionable disregard” in the death of her son, who was a freshman at North Cobb.

Forbes' story was broadcast on "Good Morning America" on Friday, bringing national attention to Tomari's death. The bombshell in the tragic incident is that Tomari was wearing head gear that included a video camera when he drowned. His mother said that the footage, which she got from the Department of State and decided to show Friday, has been a revelation.

“Now I’m able to fill in the gaps and see for myself, OK, this is really what happened,” she told ABC News. In the video, Tomari appears to be struggling to stay afloat, his outstretched hand is seen on camera just feet from six chaperones and other students. The drowning teen reportedly yells for help three times, but to no avail. His body was found the next day.

"Eventually, someone from the (U.S.) embassy said, 'We recovered his body from 30 feet of water.'"
Forbes said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Out of all those people there, how could he have just disappeared into thin air?"

"The chaperones are in his plain view and they do nothing ... they should have been watching every single child," she said.

In addition to the school district, Forbes is suing the chaperones as well as the local sanctuary, Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

"We cannot comment on pending litigation," the Cobb School District told ABC News. The Monkey Bay Sanctuary told the TV station: "All of us continue to grieve the tragic loss of Tomari Jackson."

After the segment aired Friday on ABC, Forbes’ attorneys reportedly released to a copy of the video to media.

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