The safety of students was compromised as school staff ignored obvious injuries to several cheerleaders during practice, which leaves people scratching their heads wondering why safety isn’t the number one priority for any supervising adult.
A Chicago Sun-Times article reports a case filed recently in Cook County Circuit Court, claiming supervising adults displayed “indifference” and “utter disregard” to an injured cheerleader following a “full down” flying stunt practiced in 2012. This follows three other reported injuries to other New Trier High School cheerleaders in separate practices.
During the 2012 incident, an athletic trainer at the Winnetka high school alerted the student’s parents that the cheerleader was fine and did not require medical attention, even after she had expressed an aching head and had difficulties with her vision and motor skills, reported in a Chicago Tribune article on the matter. After going home, the student’s mother took her to the emergency room after experiencing “severe amnesia,” diagnosing a concussion.
New Trier High School’s district and Board of Education, along with the two coaches and trainer, were named as defendants.
June is National Safety Month conducted by the National Safety Council, but this topic needs to be a year-round focus, especially when involving supervised children and adolescents. Not only is the goal to raise awareness, but also to pay dividends in the form of prevented injuries and deaths. No more do loved ones want to explain a traumatic experience as an “accident” when it’s very preventable.
Engaging safe behavior starts with increasing a person’s awareness and knowledge in order to make better judgments and adjust behavior or habits.
Here are a few helpful reminders:
- If you or someone around you endures an injury, immediately contact medical professionals for assistance and possible transportation to the nearest hospital or emergency services.
- Inform the appropriate people, whether at work, school, or in public – whether it be supervisors, teachers, administrators, or a helping hand.
- Pay attention to symptoms so you can properly inform medical professionals of the incident and the immediate effects.
- Learning CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (Automated External Defibrillators) use can save someone’s life one day. And it’s easy to get certified – your local fire department should offer classes.
- Never ignore an injury! Certain injuries may not display external symptoms immediately, and a full diagnosis is always necessary to determine the extent of an injury.
If you believe you or a loved one has experienced an injury due to negligence or received improper medical attention, don’t hesitate to consult the attorneys at Salvi, Schostok, & Pritchard P.C., Please call (877) 975-7991 to arrange your free consultation.
