HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The parents of a former Lakewood Elementary student are suing its assistant principal and Horry County Schools following in indecent exposure incident that happened in a bathroom last October, according to a recently filed lawsuit.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in Horry County Common Pleas Court, alleges that on Oct. 20, the student was in the bathroom when another student crawled in her stall, removed her own pants and began “touching herself inappropriately” in front of the victim.
That student, according to the lawsuit, was briefly suspended rather than expelled under the district’s disciplinary guidelines, forcing the victim to enroll in another school to avoid another encounter.
“The unreasonable safety plan of the school district and/or school administrators caused the minor child severe mental anguish and distress, essentially leaving her traumatized and paranoid about returning to the school,” the suit states.
The student’s family has asked for a jury trial seeking unspecified damages.