The family of 16-year-old Kaleiah Jones has filed an $85 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Newport News School Board and others, accusing them of gross negligence after Kaleiah collapsed at Menchville High School and did not receive CPR for nine minutes.
The lawsuit, led by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, claims staff failed to perform life-saving measures, resulting in her death.
On February 20, Kaleiah collapsed in a school hallway, as video footage shows staff responding but not checking her pulse until several minutes later.
According to the lawsuit, a nurse splashed water on her instead of performing CPR, while other staff simply moved her around.
It wasn’t until 1:18 p.m., nine minutes after her collapse, that a school resource officer briefly attempted CPR, but no further efforts were made until emergency personnel arrived five minutes later.
Despite emergency responders’ attempts, Kaleiah was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Her mother, Keyonna Stewart, tearfully expressed her loss at an October 17 press conference, saying, “I will never see her graduate or walk down the aisle.”
Kaleiah’s family alleges the school staff’s failure to use CPR, an automated external defibrillator (AED), or other life-saving measures, directly led to her death.
The lawsuit also states that the school was aware of Kaleiah’s pre-existing heart condition, bradycardia.
The case raises significant concerns about school safety and staff training in life-saving techniques. Crump stated the need for this to be a “teachable moment” to prevent future tragedies.
