Shameika Freeman has sued the Beaufort County School District after her daughter’s fingertip was allegedly severed at Lady’s Island Middle School on Jan. 25, 2024. The complaint claims another student slammed a heavy door, crushing the girl’s finger, and that school employees failed to preserve the amputated fingertip, preventing reattachment. Freeman is seeking a jury trial and up to $300,000 in damages; the district declined to comment on pending litigation.
Mother Sues After School Staff Allegedly Discarded Daughter’s Severed Fingertip
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A South Carolina mother has filed a lawsuit claiming that employees at her daughter’s middle school discarded the student’s severed fingertip after an on-campus injury in January 2024.
The complaint, viewed by PEOPLE, says the injury occurred on Jan. 25, 2024, at Lady’s Island Middle School in Beaufort County when another student "forcefully closed the heavy door shut" and crushed the victim’s finger. According to the filing, the injured student had a hall pass to use the bathroom at the time of the incident.
Shameika Freeman filed the suit against the Beaufort County School District (BCSD), alleging that school employees "did not preserve the amputated fingertip," which prevented surgeons from reattaching it during subsequent surgery. The complaint accuses the district of negligence and other failures that resulted in hospitalization, surgery, pain and emotional distress for the minor plaintiff.
"Defendant BCSD’s negligence, gross negligence, carelessness, recklessness, willfulness, and wantonness caused Minor Plaintiff to sustain serious personal injuries..."
Freeman is seeking a jury trial and up to $300,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit. The Beaufort County School District told local outlet WSAV it was "unable to comment on pending litigation." PEOPLE reports it has reached out to Freeman’s attorney and a BCSD representative for comment.
Broader Questions Raised
The filing and Freeman’s legal action raise broader concerns about school supervision, hallway monitoring, emergency response procedures and how potentially critical biological material is handled after an on-campus injury. The complaint also notes that another student allegedly left the classroom without a hall pass after the injury occurred, a detail the lawsuit cites in describing the school environment at the time.
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