Jonathan Mendelsohn
5-year-old Romeo Pierre Louis died on the playground at a Connecticut elementary school after his teachers left him on the ground for 8 minutes because they assumed he was “playing dead.” The boy’s parents are now suing the Connecticut town of West Hartford where they reside, as well as the town’s board of education.
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In April 2022, Romeo was having a great time at recess, playing freeze tag with his peers. Soon, the boy collapsed to the ground. Turns out, the boy was unknowingly suffering from a rare heart condition and was left unconscious outside for 8 minutes. Romeo died at Connecticut Children’s Hospital two days later.
Parents Sue School Board After Their Son’s Death
According to the lawsuit, “By the time the teachers … realized that Romeo was not playing dead and needed emergency medical treatment — it was too late, and Romeo’s life could no longer be saved.” Romeo’s parents claim they were unaware of their son’s serious condition. Romeo died from Brugada syndrome, which is a condition that can go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Michael L. Chambers Jr, who is one of the attorneys representing the family, spoke on the matter, saying, “As any parent who every morning drops their child off at school, there’s a certain level of trust we put in teachers’ and administrators’ hands. And that trust was absolutely broken.” Reportedly, several of Romeo’s classmates told teachers that the boy was pretending to sleep. However, other children apparently alerted the teachers that Romeo was not well, but were ignored. After 8 minutes of being unattended to, teachers realized that the boy was unconscious. A school nurse used a defibrillator on the boy to no avail.
Andrew Morrow, who works as the interim superintendent of West Hartford Public Schools, made a statement on the matter, saying, “The death of a child is a devastating and unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Romeo Pierre Louis. This tragedy has deeply affected the Charter Oak International Academy community.”
