A mother who had to wait at least 90 minutes to learn that her teenage son was on the way from school to a hospital emergency room has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from Clover Park Technical College and from the Clover Park School District, both in Lakewood.
Dineen Smith says in court documents filed Oct. 5 that the technical college notified the wrong parent when her son, Daequan Samuels, had a seizure at school in April. Daequan attended a program for high school students at the college.
Smith says the mix-up was the result of negligence by the college.
College spokeswoman Tawny Dotson said she could not comment on an ongoing legal case.
“But we do want to reiterate that Clover Park Technical College takes the safety of our students very seriously,” she said.
In the lawsuit, Smith also claims her son was wrongly expelled in September 2010 from Clover Park High School because of his race and his disability. Daequan is African American and had been dealing with the effects of a head injury sustained after he was struck by a car in 2009.
In December 2010, the lawsuit alleges, the School District again disciplined him for alleged misconduct. The lawsuit said the discipline was in retaliation for a disability discrimination complaint the family filed with the state.
Kim Prentice, spokeswoman for the Clover Park School District, said she could not comment on a legal matter.
“However, the safety and well-being of all students and staff in Clover Park School District is our top priority,” she said.
debbie.cafazzo@ thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.