Freeport High lawsuit: Mother alleges district didn't do enough to prevent son's stabbing in school
The lawsuit against Freeport High School, the school district and other defendants comes 15 months after a fight between two teens left the woman's son with puncture wounds to his neck and abdomen, officials said at the time. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
The mother of a Freeport High School student is suing the district, alleging educators there did not do enough to prevent her son from being stabbed in the school by another student.
The mother, whose son still attends Freeport High School, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Wednesday, alleging the school failed to protect her child despite having received notice of a threat against him.
“This was a traumatic situation for the family and for our client, who's a student,” Frederick K. Brewington, a Hempstead-based attorney representing the plaintiff, said Friday. “The aftermath, as it would with anyone, left him traumatized.”
Newsday is not naming the mother, since doing so might identify her son, who is a minor and the alleged victim of a crime.
The lawsuit comes 15 months after a fight between two teens left the woman’s son with puncture wounds to his neck and abdomen, officials said at the time. His injuries were non-life-threatening, Nassau police said then.
The other student, who was 15 at the time, was arrested and charged with felony assault and a misdemeanor weapons count. A spokesperson for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office said the matter was sent to Family Court after arraignment.
The suit lists the school district, the high school and its principal, Gisselle Campbell-Ham, and six other educators as defendants. It didn’t name the six employees but Brewington said they were an assistant principal, teachers and other staff.
The family is seeking $7 million in damages, including $2 million in punitive damages, for what they say are physical, emotional and psychological injuries as well as medical expenses.
Through Brewington, the mother declined to comment for this article. A district spokesperson said in an email, "The district is not commenting on matters pertaining to litigation."
Campbell-Ham did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
The mother alleged that school administrators received notice of the impending threat against her son, then 14, before the fight took place on Nov. 1, 2023.
The other student had threatened to stab the boy in a text message sent to the teen's friend and Brewington said it is his understanding that the text was provided to the school.
The mother alleged the school was also informed of a prior altercation between the two in the school cafeteria days before the alleged stabbing. That altercation was not physical in nature, Brewington said.
Brewington wrote in the complaint that the school failed to train its staff to adequately intervene and de-escalate conflicts between students.
Superintendent Kishore Kuncham, who retired last year, said at the time that the district was taking "appropriate action." He called the alleged stabbing “an isolated incident.”
The mother of a Freeport High School student is suing the district, alleging educators there did not do enough to prevent her son from being stabbed in the school by another student.
The mother, whose son still attends Freeport High School, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Wednesday, alleging the school failed to protect her child despite having received notice of a threat against him.
“This was a traumatic situation for the family and for our client, who's a student,” Frederick K. Brewington, a Hempstead-based attorney representing the plaintiff, said Friday. “The aftermath, as it would with anyone, left him traumatized.”
Newsday is not naming the mother, since doing so might identify her son, who is a minor and the alleged victim of a crime.
The lawsuit comes 15 months after a fight between two teens left the woman’s son with puncture wounds to his neck and abdomen, officials said at the time. His injuries were non-life-threatening, Nassau police said then.
The other student, who was 15 at the time, was arrested and charged with felony assault and a misdemeanor weapons count. A spokesperson for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office said the matter was sent to Family Court after arraignment.
The suit lists the school district, the high school and its principal, Gisselle Campbell-Ham, and six other educators as defendants. It didn’t name the six employees but Brewington said they were an assistant principal, teachers and other staff.
The family is seeking $7 million in damages, including $2 million in punitive damages, for what they say are physical, emotional and psychological injuries as well as medical expenses.
Through Brewington, the mother declined to comment for this article. A district spokesperson said in an email, "The district is not commenting on matters pertaining to litigation."
Campbell-Ham did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Student threatened
The mother alleged that school administrators received notice of the impending threat against her son, then 14, before the fight took place on Nov. 1, 2023.
The other student had threatened to stab the boy in a text message sent to the teen's friend and Brewington said it is his understanding that the text was provided to the school.
The mother alleged the school was also informed of a prior altercation between the two in the school cafeteria days before the alleged stabbing. That altercation was not physical in nature, Brewington said.
Brewington wrote in the complaint that the school failed to train its staff to adequately intervene and de-escalate conflicts between students.
Superintendent Kishore Kuncham, who retired last year, said at the time that the district was taking "appropriate action." He called the alleged stabbing “an isolated incident.”
Dandan Zou covers education for Newsday. Previously, she worked for a community newspaper in Maryland and a personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C.
