NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new federal lawsuit against Metro Nashville is alleging a 7-year-old student was attacked at school and sent home with a head injury.
The suit said the child got hurt last year when he came home from Granbery Elementary School with knots on his head and bruises on his face. His mother, Shannikka Sherrill, said she saw her son vomiting and having difficulty staying awake. She took him to an urgent care clinic, but she was forwarded to the emergency room because her son had a concussion.
In the suit, Sherrill said her son has nonverbal autism, and she knows headbanging is part of his autistic behavior. As a result, the suit said her son had an individual education plan, and he was required to have constant one-on-one supervision while at school.
While trying to figure out what happened, Sherrill said in the suit she emailed his teacher to ask what happened. His teacher replied his head banging was "high" that day. However, Sherrill noted it was two days later the principal informed her that her son had been attacked and kicked in the head by another process.
The suit said the student's paraprofessional didn't report the incident to his teacher or the school nurse.
Sherrill further alleged in the lawsuit her son faced other head injuries five other times afterward due to lack of supervision, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury.
In the lawsuit, Sherrill is asking for $300,000 for medical expenses related to her son's injuries.
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Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
