“It’s so egregious the child was left to wander in light of the known risks outside of the school,” said Keith Watters, attorney representing Tiffani Green, mother of Kaidyn Green, 9, in her wrongful death lawsuit against her son’s Washington, D.C., school.
Tiffani Green is still struggling to cope or even speak on the loss of her only child. Nine-year-old Kaidyn Green sustained several life-threatening injuries from the car accident on December 10, 2021, that left him hospitalized for several months before passing away.
“We feel that people have dropped the ball big time, I don’t know if it was either the security, the teachers or both,” Watters said.
Green has filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Kaidyn’s school, Kipp D.C. Public Charter Schools, the security company hired by the school and both the driver and owner of the car who hit her son.
“We have about a dozen counts of various types of negligence, gross negligence, failure to supervise,” Watters said.
The lawsuit alleges the school failed to follow its early dismissal procedure which requires students be escorted by school staff to the front office where parents are waiting, but upon being called for check-out, young Kaidyn left his fourth-grade classroom alone. School security cameras captures his final moments wandering the halls until he walks out of the back door, to make his way towards the front of the school.
As Kaidyn wandered the halls of the school, he ended up at the rear pickup area. Once at the rear pickup area, he continued walking around to the front of the school to where his mom’s car was parked across the street from the front of the school. As he tried to cross the street to reach his mom’s car he was hit by William Ward, whom the lawsuit accuses of speeding. (Washington Metropolitan Police told Atlanta Black Star the investigation into the collision is still ongoing, but no charges have been filed against Ward.)
Green was at the front desk facing inside when her son was struck in the roadway just behind her, her claim describes.
“She was at the front desk, and I wouldn’t say it’s even 30 feet away from the location where he was struck, so she was right out there with him,” said Watters.
Kaidyn suffered multiple injuries including a high cervical spine injury leaving him a quadriplegic. He spent several months in the hospital and rehab to treat his injuries, but a month after being discharged in May, he died on June 2.
“The mother stayed in the hospital with him day and night, never left his side,” said Watters.
The lawsuit lays blame on Kipp D.C. Public Charter Schools and its security staff. Atlanta Black Star sought comment from Kipp D.C. Public Charter Schools regarding the allegations of negligence in the lawsuit, and the school sent a statement.
“Our community continues to mourn Kaidyn’s passing and our thoughts are with his family and the classmates that knew him so well. Given the pending legal matter, we’re unable to say more at this time,” the school’s spokesperson said.
Watters says, Green hopes the lawsuit prompts the school to enhance its security and safety procedures so no other parent has to lose a child.
