MANSFIELD (1080 KRLD) - A Tarrant County couple is suing a Mansfield daycare after their son was injured by a teacher.
Aaron and Carlie Walker are suing the Everly Rose Infant and Toddler Learning Center for what they claim is failing to do its due diligence on a teacher who they say injured their then-2 1/2 year old son.
The Walkers say back in April, teacher Caitlin Luttman stabbed their son in the chest with a ballpoint pen, and that there had been a pattern of abuse leading up to that.
"In this case, the daycare time and time again didn't do what it needed to do to keep the children safe," says Jason Smith, the lead attorney representing the Walkers.
Susan McClelland, the attorney representing the daycare center, disputes the notion that Everly Rose failed to do its due diligence on Luttman.
"The school did undertake all of their routine background checks," says McClelland; "and in fact, they dismissed the teacher, trying to err on the side of caution."
Luttman is also named in the suit and has been indicted on a felony charge of injury to a child.
She's currently free on bond.
Smith says following the incident, Everly Rose tried sweeping it under the rug.
"Everly Rose went on a campaign of trying to discredit the Walkers and to not tell the truth to the other parents that a child was stabbed in their care," says Smith.
McClelland says that's simply not true.
"This school self-reported the incident," says McClelland, "and all of this allegation that they lied to parents are trying to cover up, it's just not the case. They self reported it."
As for how much money the Walkers are asking for, "The pleading has requested damages in excess of a million dollars," says Smith, "but we're asking the jury to determine what they think is fair after they hear all the evidence."
McClelland says that amount of money is extremely excessive.
"I was really shocked at the amount of money that's been requested," says McClelland. "They didn't seek any kind of emergency treatment for the child, no medical treatment for the child. He didn't require stitches. He didn't require a tetanus shot. They didn't even put a Band-Aid on it."
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