A New Mexico high school is facing a lawsuit after a teacher allegedly brought swords to class and instructed the students to fight one another.
According to the lawsuit, Loviata Mitchell, a teacher at Albuquerque’s Volcano Vista High School, brought two swords to school, hid them from students and school employees and then, once class had begun, told students to rearrange the science classroom so there was room to duel, CBS News reported.
Students were laughing and having fun until the 16-year-old plaintiff, who is referred to in the lawsuit as “N.S.,” suffered a “large and deep laceration” and was transported to the emergency room, the lawsuit alleges, according to CBS.
N.M. teacher brings swords to class, has students fight, lawsuit says https://t.co/8Jk5Q6c9s0
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The incident took place on May 2, 2022, the plaintiff’s attorneys say, according to KRQE News.
Arnold and Judy Gachupin, N.S.’s grandparents and permanent guardians, brought the lawsuit against the school, its assistant principal, and Mitchell, CBS reported.
The lawsuit alleges that the assistant principal, Manuel Alzaga, tried to downplay the incident, writing in an incident report that Mitchell brought the swords as part of a lesson on “metal and melding” and did not violate school rules banning deadly weapons, according to CBS.
However, it is alleged that the teacher hid the swords from security and staff, reports CBS News. The lawsuit claims that the school attempted to cover up the magnitude of the incident despite the school’s rule against , according to the outlet.
According to Jessica Hernandez, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiff, the sword cut severed nerves and tendons, KQRE reported. (RELATED:High School Basketball Game Ends In Chaotic Brawl)
“It’s been devastating. I mean as you can imagine, this is a high school girl that this happens to. Not only is her life completely different. Not only does she have the pain of a very serious injury that had a surgery with a very long recovery, but she also now has a very dramatic scar right on her wrist.” Hernandez told the outlet. “Job prospects are now off the table for her. She’ll never be able to use her dominant hand the way she used to.”
Albuquerque Public Schools says Mitchell was hired in 2021 as a special education teacher and has since been fired, KRQE reported.