By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The Beaufort County School District is facing a lawsuit alleging negligence following an incident at Lady’s Island Middle School in which a student suffered a serious finger injury, according to court records.
The lawsuit was filed Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Beaufort County civil court by Shameika Freeman, the mother of an unnamed middle school student. The complaint seeks $600,000 in damages and alleges the district failed to properly supervise students, enforce hall pass policies, and preserve part of the injured finger for medical treatment.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, after Freeman’s daughter was given a hall pass to use the restroom. As she returned to her classroom and opened the door, another student — who the lawsuit alleges had left the classroom without a hall pass — approached her from behind and closed the door.
The lawsuit states the door severed the tip of the girl’s left ring finger and caused multiple fractures. The complaint further alleges that as the child’s finger bled heavily, school employees disposed of the severed fingertip, which the lawsuit claims prevented doctors from attempting reattachment during surgery later that day.
Allegations against the district
The lawsuit alleges the school district was negligent in failing to enforce student supervision policies, failing to maintain a safe school environment, and failing to preserve the amputated fingertip for medical care.
District spokesperson Candace Bruder said school officials cannot comment on pending litigation.
Lady’s Island Middle School serves students in grades six through eight from Lady’s Island and St. Helena Island. A $61 million construction project is planned to expand the campus and add new athletic facilities, with tentative completion expected in summer 2028.
Separate lawsuit filed involving another Beaufort County school
In a separate case, another lawsuit filed last fall alleges a student at Shanklin Elementary School suffered a serious finger injury during the first day of the 2025–26 school year.
According to court filings, a 7-year-old nonverbal autistic student injured her left middle finger after a bathroom door was closed on her hand by a staff member.
The child’s mother said she was contacted by the school nurse and took her daughter to the hospital, where the child was placed under anesthesia for treatment. She said her daughter had been injured at school previously but described this incident as the most serious.
Both lawsuits remain pending in Beaufort County civil court.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
