Family sues Hamilton, Ont. school board after 5-year-old girl loses part of finger in alleged bullying incident
The mother of a five-year-old girl is suing her daughter’s school board after she was allegedly bullied so badly she was left with a partially amputated finger from an incident in the washroom.
Sjanita-Marie Harrison said Tuesday she is taking the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) to court over a number of alleged failings on the school’s part to protect her daughter.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“I’m upset. It’s been a long six months. I want my self back, I want my daughter’s finger back,” Harrison said at a news conference in Hamilton.
Harrison said her then four-year-old daughter, Autymn-Rose, was in a washroom at Prince of Wales Elementary School in November 2022 when a student slammed the door on her hand and partially severed her right ring finger.
She said as a result of the incident, her daughter’s finger was crushed and she was placed in an ambulance unaccompanied by school personnel.
Harrison’s lawsuit against the HWDSB alleges that the board, at a systemic level, did not act in a reasonable manner to prevent the incident and said the negligence regarding bullying and student safety left her daughter physically disfigured and emotionally damaged.
Autymn-Rose Harrison, 5, is seen in this undated image. (Supplied)
Harrison is calling on the school board to provide immediate health support and compensation for harm experienced and the termination of staff and executive members who she alleges “failed to uphold student safety and accountability with respect to the incident in question.”
“I’d like to be able to take her to play basketball and do the things that she used to be able to do. I’d like her to go back to school. She hasn’t been back in school since,” Harrison said.
A spokesperson for the HWDSB called the incident “terrible” and told CTV News Toronto that the board was sorry for the incident.
“We want to express our compassion to the family and to the student for the injury that was sustained and we're taking in their feedback,” Shawn McKillop said.
Autymn-Rose Harrison's mother, Sjanita-Marie, speaks at a news conference on Mar. 28, 2023.
“We have been in contact with the mother and we continue to have conversations with her. No one wants to go through an injury like this at a school, but when it happens, we are prepared.”
McKillop addressed the allegations that Harrison’s daughter was forced to travel in an ambulance to hospital alone, and said there are procedures in place for incidents like this that staff members follow “the best we can.”
“I want parents to know when their children are in our care we are doing everything we can do support that child.”
A very shy Autymn-Rose, who turned five-years-old on Tuesday, was at the news conference and briefly addressed the reporters in attendance by saying, “Thank you for helping me, love you guys.”
Harrison said she has since relocated her family following the incident due to the emotional toll it’s taken on them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Whooping cough outbreak declared in Newfoundland
Health officials say there is an outbreak of whooping cough in eastern Newfoundland.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.