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A Missouri school agreed to settle a lawsuit for $423,000 with a former student who sued the school district in Springfield in 2015, claiming that a muddy well for a back-to-school event was not properly audited in August 2010.
Megan Taylor, a graduate of the Kickapoo High School who filed the lawsuit, also claimed that the school officials could not provide her with emergency help after being pushed into the mud and then being assaulted by classmates.
What Happened?
According to the Springfield News-Leader, in the suit, filed three years ago, Taylor said while attending “How Night,” an annual tradition at Kickapoo High School sponsored by the Student Council on August 26, 2010, she was pushed from behind and fell on her face in a muddy pit on the campus that a classmate later told authorities resembled a “mosh pit.”
Taylor, who was 17 years old at the time, broke her collarbone and injured her heart and surrounding tissue according to reports. She also suffered from four strokes that resulted in permanent brain damage, severe dementia and temporary blindness in one eye that lasted for weeks.
“I started screaming, telling them to get off because I was feeling really crushed. And I felt like everything was kind of just getting squished,” she said during a 2017 deposition. “And then I felt my shoulder pop.”
Taylor, who repeatedly lost consciousness, was dragged to safety by a fellow student.
She was absent for nearly two months of school her senior year following the incident and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the suit, according to the Daily Mail cited the suit.
In the suit, Taylor sought medical expenses and an unspecified amount. The settlement details were not spelled out in the court records available Tuesday, September 25.
The school district did not admit any liability but agreed to settle the suit for $423,106. According to the terms of the settlement, Taylor agreed to reject the lawsuit and can not be revoked.
According to Springfield News-Leader, Stephen Hall, chief communications officer for the district, confirmed the amount, which will be paid by the district’s insurance provider.
“The safety and well-being of our students will always be our first priority. We are committed to their best interests—always,” Hall said. “Any time one of our students is injured, our hearts go out to them, we seek opportunities to provide support, and we work to prevent future injuries from occurring.”
“We are pleased that this case has been resolved and our very best wishes go with Megan as she moves forward.”
Who Is Megan Taylor?
Megan Taylor is a former student at Kickapoo High School who suffered critical injuries while attending a back-to-school event in 2010.
Taylor, now 25, was a 17-year-old cheerleader when the incident happened.
According to the Daily Mail, Taylor wanted to become a physician before she got injured, graduated from Kickapoo in 2011 and is now a student at Missouri Southern State University.