A teenager who cracked ‘a joke’ in a school cafeteria has had parts of his skull removed and 60 staples placed in his head after another student allegedly attacked him, according to his parents.
On August 21, Lukas Hardeman, a ‘creative, loving’ 14-year-old, was allegedly attacked at the middle school he attends in Kilgore, Texas.
The teenager is said to have struck his head on a stool attached to a cafeteria table after being ‘picked up and body slammed’ by someone he had made a joke to.
Lukas has since suffered ‘multiple brain bleeds and severe swelling’, according to a GoFundMe set up by his family.
After arriving at Dallas’ Children’s Hospital, doctors removed two parts of Lukas’ skull to ‘relieve the pressure and bleeding’ and also inserted 60 staples to hold his head together.
The child is reportedly ‘embarrassed, hurt and struggling’, according to his father Michael Hardeman.
In an interview with KLTV, he and Lukas’ stepmom Catom thanked everyone who had already reached out to the family, saying they’d had ‘so many calls, messages and donations’.
Michael added that he believed his son was ‘only alive today because of Jesus’, alleging he had his ‘hands around his heart’.
The GoFundMe currently sits at $36,891, with the money being used to support Lukas’ ‘long road to recovery’.
“We’re asking for help to cover these costs and to give Lukas the best chance at healing. Any support means the world to us, and we ask for your prayers for Lukas’s recovery. Thank you for standing with our family during this difficult time.”
Kilgore ISD said in a statement on the incident last month: “The event from last week has left us all shaken, it was both unexpected and deeply troubling, and our thoughts and prayers remain with our student who was injured.
“No student should feel uncertain, afraid, or anxious about attending school. This week we have begun a thorough review of our campus safety measures, our district communication practices, security protocols, and programs that the District and our campuses have in place to keep everyone safe.
“KISD is committed to taking every necessary step to keep our students and staff safe, to improve upon our current safety practices, and to restore the trust of our students, parents, and Bulldog Community.”
You can donate to the child’s GoFundMe here.
Parents attend district meeting as they’re ‘nervous’ about child safety
KLTV reported that since August 20, ambulances have been phoned twice to Lukas’ middle school and once to an incident at Kilgore High School.
This concentrated influx of required medical attention has caused some parents to become ‘nervous’ about sending their children to school, as per the outlet.
One worried parent has directly questioned the school board, asking: “What is the district’s policy for students who repeatedly commit violence, even in alt placement? How are students and staff protected when these behaviors continue?”
Kilgore ISD School Board President releases statement
Ahead of a meeting that was staged on August 25 for parents and the community to address safety concerns, Kilgore ISD School Board President Jason Smith posted a statement on Facebook.
The official reassured parents that the well-being and trust of students, staff and the wider community remained some of the District’s ‘top priorities’.
“I know that when an incident happens in our schools, families want timely and clear information,” the statement, written by Kilgore ISD School Board President Jason Smith, continued.
“At the same time, there are limits to what the District can share.”
The post cited various federal privacy laws that required the District to protect students’ and staff’s information, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
“This means that while the District cannot release certain details, it can — and will — communicate openly about what steps are being taken to keep our campuses supportive and safe to the extent that can be done without compromising campus security.”
Instead, the school board said that the District will provide updates when it can, as quickly and clearly ‘as possible’ and also share what actions are being taken to protect both students and faculty members.
The third promise the Facebook post outlined was that the District would be ‘transparent’ about what it could and couldn’t disclose, whilst ‘honoring the privacy of those involved’ in situations.
“I am confident that I speak on behalf of the whole Board when I say that we appreciate your trust and understanding as the District balances transparency with the responsibility to protect individual privacy. Together, we will continue working to make Kilgore ISD a safe and thriving place for every student to learn and grow.”
More recently, ‘a thorough review of our campus safety measures’ was announced.