Teacher Attacked By Students Loses Appeal

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Court of Appeal has upheld a Supreme Court judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a teacher who was injured during an attack by S.C. McPherson students in 2016.

The teacher, Desmond Darville, sustained a broken shoulder when students hit him with bottles while taunting him with gay slurs on May 30.

Darville sued the Minister responsible for Education, Science, and Technology and the Attorney General for negligence, accusing them of failing to ensure that security officers were stationed at the lunch pavilion.

He was at the school to invigilate Grade 9 students who were sitting the Bahamas Junior Certificate Examination (BJC).

After the morning session, Darville went to the lunch pavilion to get his food. As he left with his food, he was attacked by several students who pelted him with drink bottles, breaking his left shoulder.

The appellate court agreed with the finding of then Senior Justice Indra Charles that the government was not liable as Darville had failed to prove that the attack was reasonably foreseeable.