Connecticut school sued as staffers 'ignore' boy, 5, for 9 minutes as he lay dying in playground
WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT: A devastated family sued a West Hartford school after teachers ignored their five-year-old son, who collapsed and lay dying for nine minutes in a school playground because they thought he was playing dead for fun. Romeo Pierre Louis had a rare heart condition and no one checked on him when he collapsed at the Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford, Connecticut, in April 2022.
Louis’ grieving parents, D'Meza Shultz, and Chantel, recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school, claiming the child may have survived if teachers had not neglected the situation. According to the lawsuit, Louis’ friend tried to alert their teachers after the little boy fell to the ground while playing freeze tag. However, the three teachers, who were out patrolling the playground, ignored them, believing Louis was playing dead, a popular game among the children there, the Daily Mail reported.
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How did Romeo Pierre Louis die?
It was nine excruciating minutes later that staffers checked on Louis. The school’s medical assistant immediately called 911 and took the little boy to the nurse's office where first aid was performed, followed by CPR and a defibrillator was used as well. Around 35 minutes later, EMS took Louis to the Connecticut Children's Hospital, where he died two days later. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was Brugada syndrome, which can cause an irregular heartbeat.
According to the lawsuit, which seeks more than $15,000 in damages, the town of West Hartford and the West Hartford Board of Education were responsible for the school staffers' negligence. "Romeo was allowed to collapse and lay on the ground for nearly 10 minutes without any assistance or medical treatment — despite several teachers being in close proximity," the complaint reportedly stated.
'Listen to our children'
"By the time the teachers realized that Romeo was not playing dead and needed emergency medical treatment — it was too late, and Romeo's life could no longer be saved," the lawsuit read. According to the complaint, "Romeo would have received the necessary medical attention he needed and would have survived" if staffers had adhered to the town's regulations. On the first anniversary of Louis' death, his parents, relatives and friends attended a memorial service earlier this week.
"We know that nothing will bring our son back," Chantel said, adding, "All we can do is keep his memory in our hearts and do what we can so this doesn't happen to another child. Listen to our children." Some held placards bearing the young boy's image, while others brandished "Pay attention" and "Listen to our children" messages.
The child's parents also have set up a website to raise awareness. "Romeo finally passed away due to heart complications. Some of his classmates and friends noticed his collapse and asked for help," the website read, adding, "This is why we stand by the mantra, Listen to our children! We are heartbroken that because of such a delay in care after his fall, Romeo's life was ultimately taken."
Interim Superintendent Andrew Morrow released a statement after Louis' death, which read, "The death of a child is a devastating and unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Romeo Pierre Louis."
