Student 'Disfigured' After Educator Slams Hand In Door: Lawsuit

HAZEL PARK, MI — Another lawsuit has been filed involving a student reportedly being injured by an educator. Webb Elementary School student Serenity Wadley nearly suffered a severed finger, her attorney said, after an paraprofessional at the Hazel Park School District allegedly slammed her finger in the door as Wadley tried to leave the classroom.

The lawsuit was filed July 2 against the district and paraprofessional Lynette Daley. It says Daley’s intentional conduct and gross negligence led to Wadley’s injury, which it argued was assault and battery. The lawsuit also claims Daley put Wadley in a room, stood in front of the door and would not let her leave, violating her Constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable bodily restraint.

Attorney Jonathan R. Marko represents the girl and says she is now disfigured for life. He called the incident avoidable and tragic.

“It appears that this is a systemic problem in Detroit Metropolitan schools,” he said. “This is the third incident of student abuse in local schools that has come to light this week. We need better training, funding, infrastructure, and support for our school systems and the individuals in them to make sure that our children are safe and well cared for. This type of thing should not be happening in 2018."

Administrators with the Hazel Park School District could not be reached for comment, despite several attempts by Patch.

This is the second metro Detroit story this week about a student’s finger being reportedly severed by a teacher slamming the door on it. A new lawsuit against the Detroit Public Schools Community District claims the tip of a 7-year-old boy's finger was severed when his teacher slammed a door on him.

Also this week news broke that an assistant principal at a Detroit high school was caught on camera slamming a 14-year-old boy on the ground last October before a resource officer allegedly broke the boy's jaw. A lawsuit has been filed in that case, too, against the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Main image via Shutterstock

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