COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County family is grappling with concerns surrounding the well-being of their 12-year-old child with special needs after he returned home from Awtrey Middle School in Kennesaw with multiple loose teeth.
According to Jessica Belton, the mother of the 12-year-old, her son, identified as A.J., is still recovering from significant injuries to his mouth that allegedly occurred while he was at school. A.J., who is non-verbal and unable to walk, has left the family puzzled and distressed.
“A.J. doesn’t talk, A.J. cannot walk, so I just don’t understand, and I feel like they are saying he did it to himself to cover up what happened to him,” expressed Jessica Belton.
Belton Sr., A.J.’s grandmother, voiced her disbelief, stating, “Him being his size and being handicapped, there’s no way he tipped this chair over. Even though it’s been a month, this is very upsetting.”
The family believes that the school administration has not provided satisfactory answers and is skeptical of the explanation offered by the school. Jessica Belton recorded a video demonstrating the school’s account, in which she sits in the same chair, leaning forward to touch her toes. She emphasizes that, being significantly larger than her son, she did not fall out of the chair.
“He’s about 38 to 39 pounds, and they are telling me he leaned forward in the chair and it fell on top of him, but it doesn’t make sense to me. The only person that apologized to me was the principal. I want them to cover his medical bills. I want somebody to tell me what happened,” demanded Belton.
The Belton family received a letter from the school district denying all claims related to the incident. The letter invokes the doctrine of sovereign immunity, asserting that the district has absolute immunity from any lawsuit arising out of the accident.
“I’m tired of crying, I want some answers,” exclaimed Belton.
The incident has prompted an ongoing investigation as the Belton family seeks transparency and accountability from the school administration, urging a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding A.J.’s injuries and a resolution to cover the child’s medical expenses.
