Lawsuit alleges Kansas City Montessori school employee injured 3-year-old pre-K student
The mother of a Border Star Montessori School student has filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City magnet school after an employee allegedly injured a 3-year-old pre-K student.
The lawsuit alleges that Edwina Graham, who works as an educational assistant at Border Star, injured the 3-year-old girl by “forcefully and violently” grabbing her left arm, partially dislocating her elbow. The injury allegedly took place on Oct. 10, 2023, while the child’s older sister was walking her to class.
Graham, who lives in Lee’s Summit, previously coached Border Star’s chess team.
According to the lawsuit, Graham took issue with the fact that the victim’s sister was trying to walk her to class, and insisted on walking her instead. Graham then allegedly seized the 3-year old by the arm without warning and pulled her down the hallway with enough force that she was lifted off the ground.
After the incident, the child reported she was unable to move her left arm, according to the lawsuit. After she showed the injury to the school nurse, her mother brought her to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where she was diagnosed with ‘nursemaid’s elbow,’ or a partially dislocated elbow.
The lawsuit called the interaction “violent and inappropriate.” The lawsuit also alleges that Graham discriminated against the child by singling her out for alleged abuse.
Along with Border Star Montessori and Graham, the lawsuit names the Kansas City Public School District and the Kansas City Board of Education. In the lawsuit, the parent alleges that Border Star, KCPS and KCBOE failed to keep her daughter safe at school and failed to make sure that Graham as an employee did not use excessive force against her daughter.
Border Star Montessori School was unavailable to comment on the lawsuit. Kansas City Public Schools and attorneys for the plaintiff were also unavailable for comment.
Border Star enrolls about 300 students in pre-K through sixth grade, according to U.S. News and World Report.
