A mother is taking legal action to seek justice for her daughter, who endured relentless bullying from her peers at school, with teachers failing to intervene.
Ty Turner, the mother, revealed that after more than a year of bullying, Kelaia attempted to end her life. On March 17, 2023, Ty found her baby girl hanging from a belt in her room. “She was gone for eight whole minutes,” Ty recounted to NBC affiliate WYFF-TV. “Paramedics couldn’t find a pulse, and they couldn’t find her heartbeat. There were grown men in the room crying.” At just 12 years old at the time of the incident, Kelaia spent 101 days in the hospital.
As if this tragedy wasn’t enough, while Kelaia was in the ICU, a fellow student was allowed to visit her and took photos, which were later circulated on social media, spreading cruel rumors about her condition. This was just another indication of the torment Kelaia had faced leading up to her suicide attempt.
According to the complaint, “On Friday, December 17, 2021, fellow students were calling her a man and roach in Olivia Bennett’s class.” It alleges that “Ms. Bennett was complicit in the bullying and said nothing to the other students to stop it. One student asked, ‘Where’s the roach?’ and Ms. Bennett pointed to [Kelaia].”
Olivia Bennett, Kelaia’s teacher, is listed as one of the defendants in the lawsuit. She’s being accused of failing to prevent the bullying.
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To compound the situation, students in another classroom “played a song and video on YouTube called ‘The Black People Song,’ where the Defendant Teer allowed the song to be played without any comment on its offensiveness, nor any reprimand to or discussion with the student who played it,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit claims that Kelaia’s parents “continually complained” about these issues but stated that “despite our efforts to address the issue, nothing changed.”
Now 14 years old, Kelaia Turner has suffered severe brain damage and requires round-the-clock care from her parents. The Turners are suing not only the middle school, Greenville County Schools, but also Kelaia’s teacher and other administrators for negligence.
“We are fighting for Kelaia’s healing and well-being every day, believing that she has a purpose and that her story can inspire others,” Ty said on her GoFundMe page for her daughter, who is now wheelchair-bound and non-verbal.
In response to the allegations, Greenville Public Schools issued a statement obtained by WYFF, declaring, “We disagree with these allegations and have conducted a thorough investigation and review of each allegation at the time they were made. While we do not agree with the allegations, our hearts go out to Kelaia Tecora Turner, her mother, and their family.”
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