Parent sues JCPS after child allegedly stabbed by another student at Atherton High School

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The mother of an Atherton High School student has filed a lawsuit after she says her son was stabbed in the face by another student.

The incident, according to the suit, occurred last March in the school's courtyard, at 3000 Dundee Road.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Rosie Trimes in Jefferson Circuit Court on Tuesday, names the Jefferson County Board of Education, Jefferson County Public Schools, Atherton Principal Thomas Aberli and JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio.

The suit claims a female student threw a cup of water on the boy, and he raised his arm to block it. When he did, some of the water bounced off his arm and hit the female student.

At that point, the lawsuit states the female student began chasing the boy. "Fearing for his safety," the boy tried to find a school resource officer or teacher. He couldn't find one in the courtyard.

When he found a school resource officer in the cafeteria, the school resource officer told him to "stay away" from the female student, according to the lawsuit.

The boy then went into the courtyard to get his lunchbox. That's when, according to the lawsuit, he was "viciously and savagely attacked" by the female student, who was hiding behind the bushes. She allegedly "lunged" at him with "a long wooden stick" and tried to "thrust the stick through his body."

She succeeded in stabbing him in the face with the stick, according to the lawsuit, puncturing the skin below his left eye.

The female student allegedly tried to stab him again, but he lunged out of the way. He then grabbed her and held her until the school resource officer arrived, according to the suit.

Trimes was called to the school immediately and told to pick up her son, who was being treated for his injuries.

"Seeing the carnage of the female student's attack," Trimes asked what happened, and learned that the school resource officers were not where they were supposed to be, the suit claims.

School officials, according to the suit, had been "yanking on the stick" that was still embedded in the boy's face for 20 minutes, and couldn't get it out.

The lawsuit claims that Aberli told Trimes that the school would pay for his medical bills.

He was taken to Norton Children's Hospital where the trauma team was able to remove the lodged piece of wood from the boy's face, "after working for an extended period of time," but he later had to have additional surgery from a plastic surgeon to remove additional, smaller pieces.

According to the lawsuit, the school refused to pay for the additional surgery.

The lawsuit accuses school officials of negligence for allowing the incident to take place, and asks for payment of financial damages, including the boy's medical bills.

JCPS does not comment on ongoing litigation.