Suit: School Threw My Daughter's Fingertip Away

Mother sues South Carolina district after she says girl's finger was severed by heavy classroom door
Posted Jan 24, 2026 10:10 AM CST
Suit: School Threw My Daughter's Fingertip Away
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Virojt Changyencham)

A South Carolina mom says her daughter's fingertip might have been saved, if school staff hadn't allegedly tossed it in the trash. In a lawsuit filed Jan. 16, Shameika Freeman claims her middle-school-aged daughter lost part of a finger when another student "forcefully" shut a heavy classroom door on it on Jan. 25, 2024, at Lady's Island Middle School in the Beaufort County School District, per People. The incident allegedly occurred after Freeman's daughter had properly obtained a bathroom pass from her teacher, while another student left the room without permission, according to the complaint.

Freeman's suit contends that school employees failed to preserve the detached fingertip after the accident, preventing surgeons from reattaching it. The filing accuses the district of negligence and recklessness, noting that the girl required hospitalization and surgery and that she has suffered ongoing physical pain and emotional distress. Freeman is seeking a jury trial and up to $300,000 in both compensatory and punitive damages, per WTOC. The school district tells WSAV it can't comment on pending litigation.

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X