Hearing set in case of FCPS child whose leg was allegedly broken at private school

Jillian Atelsek, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
Updated ·6 min read
1

Nov. 7—A judge granted a motion to dismiss a claim for punitive damages against a private school near Baltimore where a local parent alleges the staff broke her child's leg, but legal arguments continue on liability in the case.

Crystal Spradlin filed suit against Frederick County Public Schools and Strawbridge School in August. Her son, an FCPS student, has autism and attended school at Strawbridge beginning in 2020.

×

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmx7 2 AF3=:4 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E 56E6C>:?6D E92E 2 DEF56?E H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 42??@E 36 AC@A6C=J 65F42E65 :? :ED DJDE6>[ :E 42? >26?ED 2?5 A2J E@ D6?5 E96> 6=D6H96C6] &?56C 7656C2= =2H[ 5:DEC:4ED >FDE AC@G:56 2 "7C66 2?5 2AAC@AC:2E6 AF3=:4 65F42E:@?" E@ 2== DEF56?ED H9@ 6?C@== — 6G6? :7 E92E >62?D @FED@FC4:?8 E96:C 65F42E:@? E@ 2 ?@?\AF3=:4 6?E:EJ]k^Am

kAm$AC25=:?'D D@? E649?:42==J C6>2:?65 2? ur!$ DEF56?E 56DA:E6 2EE6?5:?8 $EC2H3C:586[ @77:4:2=D 2?5 4@FCE 7:=:?8D 92G6 D2:5]k^Am

kAm$AC25=:?'D DF:E 2==686D E92E @? |2C49 'f[ a_aa[ 96C '_\J62C\@=5 49:=5 H2D "A9JD:42==J C6>@G65 7C@> 9:D 492:C[ H:E9@FE E27F= 24E:@? E@H2C5D 9:>D6=7 @C DE277" 2E $EC2H3C:586]k^Am

kAmt>A=@J66D C6DEC2:?65 E96 49:=5 7@C D6G6C2= >:?FE6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ G:56@ AC@G:565 3J $AC25=:?'D 2EE@C?6J] %96 :?4:56?E 2AA62C65 E@ :?G@=G6 >F=E:A=6 25F=ED A:??:?8 E96 49:=5 282:?DE E96 8C@F?5]k^Am

kAmp7E6CH2C5[ E96 49:=5'D =68 H2D 3C@A=@J66D 2?5 286?ED]"k^Am

kAmx? 4@FCE 7:=:?8D[ 3@E9 @C82?:K2E:@?D 92G6 5:DAFE65 $AC25=:?'D 4=2:>D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7C656C:4^?6HD^65F42E:@?^=62C?:?802?50AC@8C2>D^74AD\32=E:>@C6\D49@@=\56?J\=:23:=:EJ\:?\DF:E\2==68:?8\DE277\3C@=RiOiE6IEluC656C:4:DD E96 4@>A=2:?E]k^Am

kAmpEE@C?6JD 7@C ur!$ 2?5 $EC2H3C:586 4@F=5 ?@E 36 C624965 7@C 4@>>6?E %F6D52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am

kAmuC656C:4r@F?EJ r:C4F:E r@FCE yF586 $4@EE {] #@==6 CF=65 ~4E] 'g E92E $AC25=:?'D >@E:@? 7@C AF?:E:G6 52>286D 282:?DE $EC2H3C:586 H@F=5 36 5:D>:DD65[ D:5:?8 H:E9 $EC2H3C:586 2EE@C?6JD H9@ 2C8F65 E96 2==682E:@?D 5:5?'E >66E E96 C6BF:C65 =682= E9C6D9@=5 7@C E92E 4=2:>]k^Am

kAm!F?:E:G6 52>286D 2C6 >62?E E@ AF?:D9 2 5676?52?E 36J@?5 H92E :D C6BF:C65 E@ 5:C64E=J 4@>A6?D2E6 2 A=2:?E:77]k^Am

kAm$AC25=:?'D 4@>A=2:?E 2=D@ 2DA6?D2E@CJ 52>286D[ H9:49 H@F=5 4@G6C E96 49:=5'D >65:42= 6IA6?D6D 2?5 @E96C 4@DED 5:C64E=J C6=2E65 E@ E96 :?4:56?E]k^Am

kAmp >@E:@?D 962C:?8 :D D4965F=65 7@C }@G] b_]k^Am

kAmx? C646?E H66>65:2E6=J 5:D>:DD65 2?5 $AC25=:? 2C8F:?8 E96 >2EE6C D9@F=5 8@ E@ 2 ;FCJ]k^Am

kAmx? 2 7:=:?8 @AA@D:?8 ur!$' >@E:@? E@ 5:D>:DD E96 42D6[ $AC25=:?'D 2EE@C?6J[ $2>2?E92 |2?82?2C@[ HC@E6 E92E ur!$' DE2?46 :? AC6G:@FD 7:=:?8D D9@HD E96 5:DEC:4E "36=:6G6D :E 42? D:>A=J D6?5 2 49:=5 @FE @7 E96 4@F?EJ H:E9@FE 5@:?8 2?J 255:E:@?2= C6D62C49 :?E@ E96 D276EJ @7 E96 D49@@=[" =:2?J C6DEC2:?ED @44FC E96C6 6249 J62C @C D662E:@? @? 324A=@J66 EC2:?:?8]k^Am

kAmpE E96 E:>6 @7 E96 :?4:56?E[ |2?82?2C@ 2C8F6D[ ur!$ "D9@F=5 92G6 366? >@C6 G:8:=2?E E92? 6G6C" @? E9:D >2EE6C[ "D:?46 :E H2D @?=J b >@?E9D AC:@C ]]] E92E E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 yFDE:46 4@?4=F565 C6DEC2:?ED H6C6 36:?8 A6C7@C>65 :? ?@?\6>6C86?4J D:EF2E:@?D :? uC656C:4r@F?EJ]"k^Am

kAmx? 2? :?E6CG:6H %F6D52J[ |2?82?2C@ D2:5 :E H@F=5 36 "G6CJ AC6>2EFC6" E@ 5:D>:DD E96 42D6 367@C6 :E 8@E E@ E96 5:D4@G6CJ A92D6[ 5FC:?8 H9:49 C64@C5D 4@F=5 C6G62= >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 2?J @G6CD:89E ur!$ 925 @G6C $EC2H3C:586'D 65F42E:@? @7 E96 49:=5]k^Am

kAm"%96C6'D ?@ H2J E92E E96J 5@?'E 92G6 D@>6 D@CE @7 5FEJ E@ E9:D 49:=5[" D96 D2:5 @7 E96 5:DEC:4E]k^Am

kAm%96 :?4:56?E >256 E96 49:=5 762C7F= @7 E62496CD 2?5 42FD65 9:> E@ >:DD D49@@= 7@C >@?E9D[ |2?82?2C@'D 7:=:?8 D2JD]k^Am

kAm$4@EE w2CE:?86C[ E96 2EE@C?6J 7@C ur!$[ HC@E6 :? 2 DF3D6BF6?E 7:=:?8 E92E |2?82?2C@'D 2C8F>6?ED 2?5 96C 492C24E6C:K2E:@? @7 E96 5:DEC:4E'D A@D:E:@? H2D ":? 325 72:E9 2?5 H:E9@FE DF3DE2?E:2= ;FDE:7:42E:@?]"k^Am

kAm|2?82?2C@ "2C8F6D 2 D6C:6D @7 'H92E :7'D' :?D@72C 2D H92E 5:D4@G6CJ >:89E F?4@G6C 23@FE H92E ur!$ >:89E 92G6 2=D@ 2C8F65 E92E |2?82?2C@'D @AA@D:E:@? D9@F=5 36 5:DC682C565 3J E96 4@FCE 3642FD6 96C 7:=:?8 H2D =2E6 2?5 5:5?'E :?4=F56 2? 277:52G:E[ H9:49 :E D2:5 G:@=2E65 4@FCE CF=6D]k^Am

kAm%96 =2E6?6DD @7 |2?82?2C@'D 7:=:?8 92C>65 ur!$ 3642FD6 E96 42D6 ":D A6?5:?8 :? 2 AF3=:4 7@CF> 2?5 92D 2EEC24E65 ?682E:G6 AF3=:4:EJ[" E96 5:DEC:4E HC@E6]k^Am

kAm"s676?52?E 56D6CG6D E@ 92G6 2== A2CE:6D 4@?7@C> E@ C6BF:C6>6?ED @7 E96 #F=6D D@ E96 42D6 42? 36 C6D@=G65 6IA65:E:@FD=J[" 2? ur!$ 7:=:?8 D2:5]k^Am

kAm|2?82?2C@ @? %F6D52J D2:5 E92E :7 D96 H6C6 =2E6 :? 96C 7:=:?8[ :E H@F=5 ?@E AC6;F5:46 E96 42D6]k^Am