Dorchester District Two could not prevent attack on students

DORCHESTER COUNTY, SC (WCSC) – Parents have filed a lawsuit against Dorchester District Two, claiming the district failed to adequately ensure the safety of their child, who was at risk of attack in 2022.

The lawsuit alleges that two Fort Dorchester High School employees failed to take action to protect one of their student-athletes and, if they did, their actions were “inadequate.”

The plaintiff is referred to in the lawsuit as “Plaintiff MB” because she is a minor.

According to the documents, plaintiff MB was approached twice in the cafeteria by a group of other students who eventually made threatening comments to him. The complaint states that plaintiff MB reported this to Assistant Principal Emily Duplantis the next day; Duplantis told the student to defuse the situation and spend lunch in a classroom instead.

Later that same day, the student claimed that the other students “followed” her and showed up outside her classroom and took off her shoes and jewelry.

The documents allege that plaintiff MB told assistant athletic trainer William Morsch that the students were going to attack. The complaint states that Morsch “did not take any action to prevent the other students from entering the classroom or to protect plaintiff MB from being attacked by the other students.”

The lawsuit alleges that two students then entered the classroom and attacked the plaintiff while another filmed the incident. The plaintiff allegedly suffered a concussion, severe trauma to her right eye, an orbital fracture, and more.

The lawsuit alleges that Dorchester District Two acted negligently and recklessly by failing to adequately protect the plaintiff “from known and/or foreseeable risks.”

The plaintiff seeks actual, compensatory, special and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a jury, plus attorneys’ fees.

The Second District of Dorchester says it does not comment on pending litigation.

The full text of the complaint can be found below:

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