by Bruce Walker
A lawsuit contends negligence on the part of Grand Ledge Public Schools caused the death of a Michigan fourth grader.
Attorney Steve Kallman filed the suit Tuesday on behalf of the family of Malachi Williams. The suit alleges the school district is at fault for the death of the 9-year-old student.
Williams died after he was struck by a GLPS school bus while riding his bicycle in a crosswalk in front of the school at 3:17 p.m. on May 17, 2021.
Kallman’s complaint alleges the bus driver failed to ensure the crosswalk was clear before making a right-hand turn necessary to proceed over it. After the bus hit Williams and the vehicle’s front tire and rear tandem wheels were driven over him, the boy was taken to Sparrow Hospital. He died from multiple injuries.
According to a news release issued by Kallman’s office, the Williams family tried over several months to resolve the issue of damages with GLPS but received no response.
Eric Williams, Malachi’s father, said in a statement, “My family wakes up every day with the pain that my son Malachi was taken from us. It is clear from the GLPS Board’s silence that they are unwilling to take responsibility for our son’s death. We filed this lawsuit to ensure that the school is held accountable and to force the school to make changes to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Schools named as defendants in a lawsuit typically do not respond to press inquiries. The Williams family declined to speak with members of the press, according to Kallman.
“We had hoped for a resolution to this matter a long time ago,” Kallman told The Center Square. “The family wants the school to ensure crossing guards are on duty directly in front of the school, so a tragedy of this magnitude never happens again.”
The complaint does not specify any amount for damages the Williams family might be seeking.
“We first reached out to GLPS in June of 2021 to resolve this matter,” Kallman said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that we were required to file a lawsuit in order to come to a resolution for this tragic incident. Our goal is to have closure for the Williams family.”
The lawsuit was filed in the Eaton County Circuit Court.
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Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.
Photo “Tony Evers” by Tony Evers.
