Family files lawsuit against Detroit schools after teacher slams door on child, severing his finger

Tip of Jason Brandom's middle finger chopped off

DETROIT – A lawsuit against the Detroit Public Schools Community District claims the tip of a 7-year-old boy's finger was severed when his teacher slammed a door on him.

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Camilla Barnes said she received a call from Henderson Academy about her son, Jason Brandom.

"Something happened with your child. You  may have to take him to the hospital," Barnes said.

According to the lawsuit, Jason was kicked out of class by his first-grade teacher and forced to sit on the floor. When he tried to go back into the classroom, the teacher slammed the door, severing the tip of his middle finger.

Read the full lawsuit below.

Jason's hand was wrapped when his mother arrived at the school, but Barnes claims the school never informed her how serious the incident was.

"The nurse hands me a bag and tells me, 'You might want to take this with you when you go to the emergency room,'" she said.

Barnes said the school didn't call an ambulance, so she used a ride-share service to take Jason to a Henry Ford Hospital, where she discovered part of her son's finger was missing.

"It's when I get to Henry Ford, when they unwrap it I see the bone sticking out," Barnes said. "I'm like, 'Oh my God, his finger is gone.'"

Barnes alleges the district took no action against the teacher and did not offer an apology, so she hired an attorney.

"You shouldn't be slamming doors. If you're that frustrated, you shouldn't even be dealing with kids," Barnes said.

The district has “no comment on pending litigation" and said it has not received the lawsuit as of Tuesday.

The full lawsuit is below:


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