A 13-year-old boy in Columbus, Georgia, had his right leg amputated on Tuesday, five weeks after he said he was body-slammed numerous times by a teacher working at his junior high school.
The student suffered permanent nerve damage in the leg as a result, leading doctors at the Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta to remove part of his limb.
The teen and his family were informed about the need for surgery this past weekend, attorney Renee Tucker told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
“As anyone can anticipate there was certainly an emotional response,” Tucker told the paper, adding the child will probably need counseling as well as physical therapy. “I mean, the fact that now it’s led to an amputation just signifies the degree of force that was used with regard to our client, particularly [the teacher] body-slamming him three different times.”
The alleged incident happened Sept. 12 at Edgewood Student Services Center, where the teen was enrolled in an alternative school program for students who’ve been temporarily removed from their assigned school because they violated behavior rules.
Tucker told the Ledger-Enquirer the boy was body-slammed in the classroom while trying to go to the main office so he could call his mother to pick him up.
At that point, he was stopped for unknown reasons by Bryant Mosley, who slammed him to the floor to prevent him from leaving, Tucker said. Mosley is identified in reports as a “behavioral specialist,” although the nature of his training is unclear, beyond being “specifically trained in MindSet curriculum, a system of preventing and managing aggressive behavior, and Georgia restraint requirements,” according to Valerie Fuller, the Muscogee County School District’s communications director.
The student said he continued to attempt to leave and was thrown to the floor again.
Tucker said the school’s assistant principal reportedly saw part of the incident and another employee saw the boy limping, but didn’t assist or file a report.
Although school officials reportedly told the boy they would call an ambulance, they decided to have Mosley carry him to the school bus and send him home without mentioning it to the parents.
“They placed an injured student on the school bus,” Tucker told the paper. “We don’t know the extent that the injuries were worsened by the failure to render aid and certainly by picking him up and seating him on the school bus. Then they had him ride in that same school bus home without any support or stabilization of that leg.”
Tucker said the family plans to file a lawsuit, but haven’t set the amount they will be seeking.
“We initially set a figure of $5 million based on the issues we saw at the time, mainly a fractured tibia,” she told The Huffington Post. “Now that he’s been amputated below the knee, there will be a need for prosthetics so that number will certainly increase.”
Mosley, the man accused of damaging the boy’s leg, was never actually employed by the school or the Muscogee County School District.
At the time of the incident, he was employed by Mentoring and Behavioral Services, a company that “specializes in individualizing holistic behavior approaches to produce a healthy and productive environment that fosters positive growth,” according to the company’s website.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to our student who is undergoing medical treatment and to his family,” Fuller, the communications director, said in a statement. “We are committed to conducting a thorough review of the alleged incident at the AIM/Edgewood Student Services Center to determine all of the facts.”
HuffPost reached out to MBS to see if Mosley is still employed there, but have not heard back.
The Columbus Police Department said they are looking into possible criminal charges, but can’t comment as the investigation is ongoing.
This article has been updated with additional information regarding Mosley’s formal training.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.