SC school aware of ‘dangerous’ situation before child knocked unconscious, suit said
A mother is suing her child’s middle school after she claims he was knocked unconscious by another student.
Jessica Berry filed the suit on Nov. 26, claiming that St. James Middle School, 9775 St. James Road in the Myrtle Beach area, was aware of the dangerous situations between students but “allowed the bullying to continue unchecked.” As a result, her son, identified as E.M. in the filing, sustained injuries, including a concussion with loss of consciousness, a facial contusion and cervical muscle strain by another student.
The suit also names Horry County Schools.
It is unclear if any disciplinary action was taken against any students who were involved. A message left with Horry County Schools was not returned.
The injuries occurred on Feb. 21, 2024, when students were waiting in the school hallway. The suit claims that students were not properly monitored at the time.
No emergency personnel were called by the staff to the school site, the suit said. Instead, school staff called E.M.’s mother who came to pick up her son to take him to the emergency room, the suit said.
No incident report was issued nor offered to the parents, the suit said.
St. James Middle School is rated in the top 50% of schools in South Carolina. The school received an overall score of 49 out of 100 in the 2024 School Report Card ratings.
