By Olivia Lloyd
Merced Sun-Star
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. 鈥� After 16-year-old Kaleiah Jones collapsed in the hallway at school, staff 鈥渕illed around鈥� and failed to perform CPR for nine minutes, ultimately leading to her death, a Virginia lawsuit says.
Kaleiah鈥檚 family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, filed the $85 million wrongful death lawsuit obtained by WAVY against the Newport News School Board, the City of Newport News, several employees of Menchville High School and three school security officers.
McClatchy News reached out to the parties named in the complaint for comment on Oct. 18 and did not immediately receive a response.
A fatal emergency
On Feb. 20, a video viewed by Kaleiah鈥檚 family shows the sophomore walking out of class with her friend, when suddenly she stumbles into the lockers and collapses on her back at 1:09 p.m., the lawsuit says.
A group of school personnel immediately responded, but several minutes passed before anyone checked her pulse, according to the complaint.
Then a nurse brought a cup of water and splashed some on her, as staff shook and stroked her shoulders, the family said after viewing the video. A school resource officer then requested a medic for a head injury, the lawsuit says.
At 1:18 p.m., nine minutes after the teen鈥檚 collapse, the officer began performing CPR for about 17 seconds before abandoning the task, according to the complaint.
None of the school staff, including the nurse, continued CPR or tried to get any of the three automated external defibrillators on campus until emergency personnel arrived, according to the lawsuit.
鈥淜aleiah lay unaided and dying on the hallway floor,鈥� the lawsuit says.
A teacher patted her leg, and staff moved her from her back to her side a couple of times, the complaint says.
At 1:23 p.m., medical personnel arrived, but by that point, the teen had no pulse and wasn鈥檛 breathing, according to the complaint. They began CPR, and eventually, 18 minutes after the teen鈥檚 collapse, the assistant principal brought an AED that appeared not to work, the lawsuit says.
Kaleiah was taken to a hospital, where medical staff continued to try to save her until she was pronounced dead at 2:43 p.m. , according to the lawsuit.
Wrongful death lawsuit filed
鈥淚 will never get the opportunity to see Kaleiah fulfill every parent鈥檚 dreams of getting her license, of graduating high school or walking down the aisle on her wedding day,鈥� her mother, Keyonna Stewart, said through tears at an Oct. 17 news conference broadcast by WVEC.
Kaleiah鈥檚 family is accusing the school staff of gross negligence and willful and wanton negligence.
Virginia educators must be certified in first aid, using an AED and performing CPR, according to the Virginia Department of Education.
The lawsuit says if staff had performed these life-saving measures, the 16-year-old would have lived. Stewart told WAVY that her daughter had a heart condition called bradycardia and the school knew about it.
鈥淭his has to be a teachable moment,鈥� Crump said at the news conference, calling the teen鈥檚 death preventable.
Newport News is on Virginia鈥檚 southern coast.
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