The parents of Aaron Hatcher, an 18-year-old suffering from muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, are suing the Fulton County School District alleging abuse by the school. Though the school district is not being sued for Hatcher’s death, the conduct of school personnel seems to be implicated in it.
According to Hatcher’s father, Ronald, the boy was abused by two teachers in the school and school officials did not act in response to his complaints about the abuse. The lawsuit has not been released yet, but 20 people at 2 Fulton schools are named as defendants. These presumably include both teachers who are alleged to have abused Aaron as well as complacent school administrators who did nothing to stop the mistreatment.
Due to his medical conditions, Aaron had difficulty holding his head up and his parents allege that at least one teacher placed a makeshift brace on his neck to hold his head up to force his face forward. They also claim that the brace caused bruising and scratching that required hospital visits on multiple occasions. Mr. Hatcher claims that he sent an email to administrators at Roswell High School warning them that Aaron would die if the mistreatment was not stopped. According to Hatcher’s attorney, the neck brace caused constriction of Aaron’s airway and prevented him from breathing properly. He ultimately died upon returning home from the hospital after having difficulty breathing.
When vulnerable loved ones are placed in the care of schools, nursing homes, day care centers, and other institutions, it is natural and right to expect the high level of care required by law. When caregivers and responsible parties fail to provide adequate care by acting negligently, recklessly, or maliciously, they may be held responsible in court and made to compensate their victims. Our Georgia trial lawyers have successfully handled lawsuits on behalf of parties injured by others. We have achieved impressive settlements and jury verdicts for our clients that have allowed them to piece their lives back together following tragedy.
