Rosmarie and Lawrence Casto have filed a lawsuit against the Princeton Charter School alleging that the school physically abused their son, Christopher. 

Also alleged is the staff tackled, jumped and sat on Christopher — depriving him of breath — and held his face against the ground.

 Princeton House officials maintain that they did nothing wrong and that their staff responded to the teen’s behavior correctly.  “He was just being violent,” said Carol Tucker, executive director of the Princeton House. 

 Staff had to restrain Christopher because of potential injuries to other people, as well as property damage that could have been incurred, she said.  “We do the best we can under terrible situations,” she said.

 Christopher, the report states,  now lives in a group home, where he requires a strict routine and consistent care.

Children playing with fire cause hundreds of injuries and deaths each year. Preschoolers and kindergartners often start these fires, usually  by playing with matches and lighters, and are most likely to die in them.

Facts & figures

• In 2006, children playing with fire started an estimated 14,500 structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments, causing an estimated 130 civilian deaths, 810 civilian injuries and $328 million in direct property damage.
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) of all fatal victims of fires by playing are children 5 years old and younger.
• Nearly two out of every three child-playing fires — and four out of five associated deaths and injuries — involve matches or lighters.
• The items ignited by home fire-play are principally mattresses, bedding or clothing.

Source: NFPA’s “Children Playing with Fire“

 Children need to be protected; their safety needs to be ensured.  When their well-being is not handled properly and they are injured, some of the possible legal claims include the following:  failure to provide a safe environment, failure to keep the child away from hazardous items, failure to prevent the child from being injured or bullied by other children, and failure to provide adequate supervision and monitoring.  

 Florida law offers grants of immunity to public schools from being sued.  An experienced Florida child injury attorney can determine if these legal obstacles can be overcome by studying the specifics of your case and advising you on the merits of your claim.

The injuries that can occur from treadmills can be life threatening. They include pediatric friction burns and require specialist care with the risk of long-term functional and cosmetic problems, split skin grafting, and others.

Research suggests the designs of treadmills should be enhanced to help prevent children from playing on this type of equipment.  Home treadmill injuries can be prevented by close supervision of children.