Mold Remediation in Newport News, VA

After 16-year-old Kaleiah Jones collapsed in the hallway at school, staff “milled around” and failed to perform CPR for nine minutes, ultimately leading to her death, a Virginia lawsuit says.

Kaleiah’s family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, filed the $85 million wrongful death lawsuit obtained by WAVY against the Newport News School Board, the City of Newport News, several employees of Menchville High School and three school security officers.

McClatchy News reached out to the parties named in the complaint for comment Oct. 18 and did not immediately receive a response.

On Feb. 20, video viewed by Kaleiah’s family shows the sophomore walking out of class with her friend, when suddenly she stumbles into the lockers and collapses on her back at 1:09 p.m., the lawsuit says.

A group of school personnel immediately responded, but several minutes passed before anyone checked her pulse, according to the complaint.

Then a nurse brought a cup of water and splashed some on her, as staff shook and stroked her shoulders, family said after viewing the video. A school resource officer then requested a medic for a head injury, the lawsuit says.

At 1:18 p.m., nine minutes after the teen’s collapse, the officer began performing CPR for about 17 seconds before abandoning the task, according to the complaint.

None of the school staff, including the nurse, continued CPR or tried to get any of the three automated external defibrillators on campus until emergency personnel arrived, according to the lawsuit.

“Kaleiah lay unaided and dying on the hallway floor,” the lawsuit says.

A teacher patted her leg, and staff moved her from her back to her side a couple of times, the complaint says.

At 1:23 p.m., medical personnel arrived, but by that point, the teen had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, according to the complaint. They began CPR, and eventually, 18 minutes after the teen’s collapse, the assistant principal brought an AED that appeared not to work, the lawsuit says.

Kaleiah was taken to a hospital, where medical staff continued to try to save her until she was pronounced dead at 2:43 p.m., according to the lawsuit.

“I will never get the opportunity to see Kaleiah fulfill every parent’s dreams of getting her license, of graduating high school or walking down the aisle on her wedding day,” her mother, Keyonna Stewart, said through tears at an Oct. 17 news conference broadcast by WVEC.

Kaleiah’s family is accusing the school staff of gross negligence and willful and wanton negligence.

Virginia educators must be certified in first aid, using an AED and performing CPR, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

The lawsuit says if staff had performed these life-saving measures, the 16-year-old would have lived. Stewart told WAVY that her daughter had a heart condition called bradycardia and the school knew about it.

“This has to be a teachable moment,” Crump said at the news conference, calling the teen’s death preventable.

Newport News is on Virginia’s southern coast.

Read Next

Florida

September 30, 2024 5:40 PM

Read Next

National

October 01, 2024 12:39 PM

The family alleges no aid was rendered to 16-year-old Kaleiah Jones for nine minutes after she collapsed.

More Videos

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The mother of Newport News teen Kaleiah Jones announced she is suing the Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) division, several school staff members and the City of Newport News after the student's February death.

"I wake up daily with the pain and sorrow knowing my baby girl is not with me on this journey called life," Jones' mother, Keyonna Stewart, said Thursday.

Kaleiah, 16, collapsed in the hallway at Menchville High School on February 20. According to her family, no school staff rendered aid for nine minutes, despite knowing about the medical incident immediately. The family's legal team claimed Thursday, a school staffer did start CPR after those nine minutes but stopped after 17 seconds. The attorneys cite school video for the timeline, saying medics arrived 16 minutes after the teen collapsed.

"Every one of the individuals named in the complaint, we feel, had a duty to act, an obligation to act, and their failure to act caused her death," said attorney Mark Krudys.

On Thursday, Stewart joined Krudys and co-counsel Ben Crump to announce the lawsuit. Crump is a prominent civil rights lawyer who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols, and Trayvon Martin, among others.

Stewart described her daughter, saying, "Kaleiah was giving, kind, and always wore a smile on her face." But, she added, her daughter's death has left a void in her life, explaining, "No words can give me peace and understanding as to why this has happened and why my baby girl has left us."

The legal team said the school division is guilty of gross negligence and that Kaleiah's death could have been prevented, pointing to state law that requires AEDs to be available in public elementary and secondary schools and plans to be in place to use them. Even though the school had AEDs available, the attorneys say school staffers' failure to use them or start CPR immediately justifies the lawsuit.

"16 years old, you’re at school, it’s preventable," said Crump. "This has to be a teachable moment, so no other family has to endure this."

Stewart agreed, emphasizing her daughter's death would not be in vain. She said, "We’re standing here today to be the voice of Kaleiah in hopes that no other parent will have to stand in my place as a voice for their child."

The family is asking for $85 million for compensatory damages from the school division and city. The City of Newport News is included in the lawsuit because the Student Resource Officer (SRO) at the school is affiliated with the city.

On Thursday night, Newport News School Board released a joint statement with Newport News Public Schools.

"The Newport News School Board and the Newport News Public Schools leadership team have kept Kaleiah Jones’ family and friends in our thoughts," the statement read. "We cannot comment on the family’s pending lawsuit at this time. We know that their grief, pain and sadness are constant, and we continue to extend our deepest condolences to them."

More Videos

Newport News wants to make the southbound entrance to Hilton Village more attractive, so the Economic Development Authority is under contract to buy Warwick Village Shopping Center for $6.5 million.

The 7.5-acre, 75,000-square-foot shopping center at 11006 Warwick Blvd. is home to 11 businesses, including: a Family Dollar-Dollar Tree combo store, Village Thrift, Cups and Claws Cafe, Sherwin Williams, Stepping Stones Child Development Center, Dragon Garden Chinese Restaurant, Axsom Martial Arts, Stylez Unique Barber, H&R Block, Mars Vape and a laundromat. Plus, Smoke BBQ Restaurant is nearby.

The authority acquired the adjacent former UPS call center and large parking lot last year for $5.8 million, according to online city records.

Improvement plans are expected to be completed by November, said Derek Perry, city assistant director of development.

“We want to make that area, heading into Hilton Village, more attractive and improve that corridor,” he said. “We want to soften it up, add some greenery and make it more attractive.”

Prior to any construction, the city will seek citizen input at the end of this year and early 2025, he said.

“We will work with all the stakeholders to help with that development. There are no plans in place at this moment. We will do community outreach before we start any plan,” Perry added.

Established during World War I, the Hilton Village neighborhood is the first federal housing development and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a Main Street community and recently received a grant to fund a plan to enhance the alley between Main and Hopkins streets plus redevelopment of the long-empty bank building at 96 Main St.

This authority has previously purchased commercial property for redevelopment. The city bought the 13.3-acre property of the former Kmart in Denbigh in 2019 for $2.9 million. The city also owns the property around it making the total 22.7 acres. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has held a few events there in the past.

What exactly will finally become of the old Kmart property will be decided when City Council and the authority meet for a retreat in October, Perry said. This acquisition was part of the city’s broader efforts to revitalize the Denbigh area, he added.

There are currently two roundtrip trains that run from the station to Richmond, Washington, D.C., Alexandria and other northeast cities.

More Videos

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — After breaking ground four years ago and welcoming trains on August 22, Newport News city leaders cut the ribbon Thursday at the city's new transportation center.

The $53.3 million station features a 3,450-square foot indoor waiting area with a ticket counter, restrooms and vending machines. It also has accessible pathways and Virginia's second high-level platform. The ADA-compliant boarding area lines up with train doors for more accessible boarding.

"This is a great day for the city of Newport News," said Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones. "We can increase the options for our infrastructure, for our transportation."

There are currently two roundtrip trains that run from the station to Richmond, Washington, D.C., Alexandria and other northeast cities. There are also plans to expand routes in the coming years.

"The pieces are in place," said Mike McLaughlin, chief operating officer of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. "There will be a third roundtrip train coming in a few more years so people can get where they want to, whether it be New York, D.C. or even Boston."

Mayor Jones added, "How can we put all of this to come together at the nexus to increase quality of life? That’s the future of this place."

Amtrak Vice President of Customer Services Robert Jordan told ceremony attendees Thursday, the Newport News Transportation Center is one of the nicest Amtrak stations in the country.

"It’s rare when you have a modern station like this that fits the needs of all the customers that utilize it, plus it’s intermodal," Jordan said. "That, on top of its gorgeous design, it’s now one of the finest stations we have in the system."

When asked about the prospect of bringing high-speed rail to the area, Jordan said, "Right now high-speed is just in the northeast quarter because of the electrical catenary that needs to be utilized for that." An electrical catenary is the system of overhead wires that supplies power to high-speed, electric trains.

William Harrel, president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, also addressed the possibility for growth in the area.

"We’re improving our routes on the Peninsula and we’re moving to the Southside, as well. We’re going to have our route 108 stop at this location," he explained.

Bus service to Norfolk and Virginia Beach is also available at the center, along with taxis and shuttles to and from the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport.

To celebrate Thursday's ribbon cutting, Amtrak announced a sale on tickets to and from Newport News and Washington, D.C. between Sept. 19 and Nov. 3.

The company is offering 25% off Flex Fare prices in Coach Class for travel between the two cities, including to Alexandria, Quantico, Fredericksburg, Ashland, Richmond, and Williamsburg.

Tickets must be booked by Sept. 21, to get the sale price.

Newport News, Va., is the place for college soccer this weekend as three teams ranked in the top 13 of the United Soccer Coaches poll will compete. The No. 3 Colorado College men's soccer team will face No. 13 Christopher Newport on Friday, Sept. 20, at 5 p.m. MT and No. 1 Mary Washington on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. MT.

Last Time Out

CC collected four points from a tough weekend at home as No. 13 Ohio Northern and Emory visited Stewart Field. The Tigers tied with the Polar Bears 1-1 on Friday in a rematch of last season's Sweet 16 matchup. They defeated Emory 2-1 on Saturday to move to 5-0-1.

Sophomore Wyatt Linggi had the game-winning header in the 64th minute after a throw-in assist from Rex Karjian. It broke the 1-1 tie, but CC did have the lead at the halftime break thanks to a goal scored by midfielder Luke Stefanski in the 34th minute.

The night prior, senior Remi Maher dished out his second goal of the season to take a 1-0 in the 82nd minute to break the stalemate. The Polar Bears responded with their own goal in the 86th minute to save the tie and escape with a point.

Highest National Ranking in Program History

The latest United Soccer Coaches national poll was released on Tuesday, and the Tigers were named the No. 3 team in the country. This is the highest ranking in program history since the polls debuted in 1996.

CC entered the season ranked No. 6 and dropped to No. 7 last week, but the two wins over ONU and Emory elevated the Tigers to the historic spot.

Another Chance At More History

CC will be able to make more history this weekend, as the latest national polls make the trip more enticing. Host Christopher Newport jumped to No. 13 after winning 2-0 in its most recent matches against Rutgers-Camden and Catholic University.

Mary Washington jumped from No. 9 to 4 a week prior and is now No. 1. This is the Eagles' first No. 1 ranking since last season, when they were the highest-ranked team from Sept. 12-26.

The Tigers have defeated a No. 1 ranked team before. In 2015, head coach Scott Palguta's first season at the helm, the Tigers downed No. 1 Trinity (TX), who was ranked the top team in the D3soccer.com men's soccer poll. CC won the game 3-1 and finished the season 14-3-3.

Other Numbers Nationally

The Tigers are ranked eighth in the nation in goal differential after outsourcing their opponents 21-2 through the first three weeks. They also rank sixth in shots per game (22.5) and 11th in total goals (21).

Defensively, CC ranks 11th in goals against average, only surrendering 0.333 goals per match. The team also ranks 19th in shutout percentage (0.667)

Scouting The Opposition

No. 13 CNU enters the week with a 4-0-2 record after downing both Rutgers-Camden and Catholic by a final score of 2-0 in each match. The Captains have surrendered only one goal all season and have four shutouts through the first three weeks.

Sophomore Manzi Siibo leads the team with three goals and nine shots, but the Captains have spread the wealth this season. Eight players account for the 12 CNU goals and two players have three assists.

No. 1 Mary Washington is right back where it was a year ago, at the top of the national polls. The Eagles are a perfect 6-0 to start the year and have outscored their opponents 22-5.

UMW has a pair of the top goal scorers in the nation. Sammy Amorose is tied for sixth with six goals, and Carter Berg is tied for 31st with five. In points, Amorose ranks 17th with 13.

On the defensive side, in six games, goalkeeper Freddy Rogers is ranked 21st in the nation in goals-against-average (.378).

Up Next

CC returns home to Stewart Field to start conference play against the University of St. Thomas (TX) on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. MT.