A girl is suing the Glendale Unified School District after she alleges she fainted after being required to perform with other students in hot conditions at a Christmas holiday recital on campus in 2017.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was brought on the girl's behalf Tuesday by her guardian. The suit does not state the girl's age, but says she was a student at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School when she fell unconscious down the stage steps. The suit states she suffered a brain injury and later needed 16 stitches to close a laceration.
The school has students in grades kindergarten through grade 6.
A GUSD representative said Wednesday the district has not been served with the complaint and so he had no comment.
According to the suit, the students were required to stand close together while they prepared to rehearse in the school auditorium on Dec. 8, 2017.
"Children began to complain about the heat and being exhausted from standing,'' the suit states. "One child asked that those not rehearsing be allowed to sit down. One of the teachers replied with a quick 'no.'"
No instruction was provided to the children on alternative ways to deal with the heat and exhaustion, the suit alleges.
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Shortly thereafter, the plaintiff fell and landed face first, the suit alleges. The girl eventually regained consciousness and the school nurse and receptionist later told the girl's mother that no one called 911 because there was no reason to do so, the suit states.
The receptionist also said the school did not ordinarily make 911 calls, the suit states.
The girl's mother then turned to the nurse, who also said there was no reason to call 911, according to the claim filed against the district prior to the lawsuit.
"After further discussion with the nurse, it became apparent to (the girl's mother) that the nurse's adversarial, unyielding approach was only worsening (the mother's) already heightened anxiety concerning her daughter's injuries,'' the claim states.
The mother called 911 and was told by paramedics who treated their daughter that she did the right thing by calling them, the claim states.
"Apparently, the nurse was upset that the paramedics came and one of the paramedics turned to (the mother) asking, 'What's her problem?,''' the suit states.
