MUSCOGEE COUNTY, Ga. — Newly obtained surveillance-camera video seems to refute a claim by the Muscogee County School District that a student was “up and walking and not in distress” after an incident involving a teacher that led to the eventual amputation of the student’s leg.%
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Montravious Thomas, 13, continues to recover at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston a week after doctors removed one of his legs below the knee.
Thomas claimed teacher Bryant Mosley body slammed him more than once during class at the Edgewood Student Center, an alternative school in Columbus. The district issued a statement saying Mosley used “restraint per state guidelines” after Thomas acted up in class and caused “issues concerning the safety of the child and others in the room.”
Thomas said he told the teacher his leg hurt and had gone numb after the incident.
In a statement, the district wrote, “witnesses indicate that the child was up and walking and not in distress following the administered restraint.”
But the video seems to show a teacher carrying Thomas through the halls of the school. Another camera angle shows that teacher putting Thomas down, but after seeing him unable to put weight on the leg, that teacher picked him up again, put him over his shoulder and carried him to a school bus.
At no time did anyone from the school call for an ambulance.
Thomas’ mother, Lawanda Thomas, said doctors later determined her son suffered a compartment fracture and were forced to amputate his leg. She said the video disturbed her.
“I was very angry about that when I seen the video of them walking him out,” she said.
Thomas has hired two Atlanta attorneys, Forrest Johnson and Renee Tucker, who have filed notice with the district that they plan to sue.
The school district said it will continue to review the case.