Wallmuth v. Rapides Parish School Bd.

813 So. 2d 341, 164 Educ. L. Rep. 511, 2002 La. LEXIS 959
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 3, 2002
Docket2001-C-1779, 2001-C-1780
StatusPublished
Cited by60 cases

This text of 813 So. 2d 341 (Wallmuth v. Rapides Parish School Bd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wallmuth v. Rapides Parish School Bd., 813 So. 2d 341, 164 Educ. L. Rep. 511, 2002 La. LEXIS 959 (La. 2002).

Opinion

813 So.2d 341 (2002)

Leonard W. WALLMUTH, et al.
v.
RAPIDES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD, et al.

Nos. 2001-C-1779, 2001-C-1780.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

April 3, 2002.

*342 Laura K. Theunissen, Preis, Kraft & Roy, Lafayette, for Applicant (No. 2001-C-1779).

Terry G. Aubin, Wilbert J. Saucier, Jr., Pineville, Bridgett B. DeJean, Raymond L. Brown, Jr., Alexandria, Steven B. Rabalais, Lafayette, Sandra Green (in proper person) for Respondent (No. 2001-C-1779).

Terry G. Aubin, Wilbert J. Saucier, Jr., Pineville, for Applicant (No. 2001-C-1780).

Laura K. Theunissen, Preis, Kraft & Roy, Lafayette, Bridgett B. DeJean, Raymond L. Brown, Jr., Alexandria, Steven B. Rabalais, Lafayette, Sandra Green (in proper person) for Respondent (No. 2001-C-1780).

VICTORY, J.

We granted this writ to determine whether the Rapides Parish School Board (the "School Board") is liable to plaintiffs for injuries suffered by an eighth grade student, Joshua Wallmuth ("Wallmuth"), when he was kicked by another student in the locker room after a physical education class. After reviewing the record and the applicable law, we reverse the judgments of the lower courts and hold that the School Board is not liable for Wallmuth's injuries.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Wallmuth's parents filed suit against the School Board and three other students' parents and guardians and their insurance companies, alleging that on April 18, 1996, in the locker room at Jones Street Junior High, two students, Nathaniel Smith and David Zeno, held Wallmuth while another student, Chris Davidson, kicked Wallmuth in the knee, severely injuring him. The claims against the Smiths, their insurer, and the Zenos were tried before a jury. The claims against the School Board and its insurer were tried before the trial court. In addition, the claims against Chris Davidson were presented to the trial court by way of a default judgment proceeding.

At trial, Wallmuth testified that on April 18, 1996, he was in Coach David Brasher's physical education class. On that date, the students were playing volleyball. He testified that Zeno, Smith, and Davidson were on one team and he was on *343 another, that his team was winning, that the other three students were angry about it, and shouted at Wallmuth that they were going to "get [him] after class." He testified that the class continued to play volleyball throughout the rest of the class period until Coach Brasher told them that they had five minutes to go into the locker room and get dressed for their next class.

Wallmuth testified that his locker was in the back of the locker room, in an area that was not visible from the door of the locker room. He testified that as he went into the locker room, he was not concerned for his safety because he thought the threats from the three other students had died down. However, after he reached his locker and started to get dressed, he heard the three boys approach him and say "get him." At that point, he testified that "Zeno ran up behind me and stood on top of the bench and was holding my shoulders and pulling my hair" and that "Smith was standing in front of me with his back against the lockers holding my left arm." He testified that Davidson was just standing there but "then he ran up and kicked me." Wallmuth testified that the three students ran off but then came back and "Chris Davidson asked me what happened and I told him that he had kicked me, and then they all said that they were sorry and asked me if I was going to tell on them." Between 30-60 seconds after he was kicked, Coach Brasher came into the locker room on his regular patrol and found him on the floor.

Wallmuth testified that Coach Brasher was not in the locker room when the incident occurred and that, in fact, Coach Brasher was "hardly ever" in the locker room when the boys were changing clothes. He testified that when the students were dressing out, Coach Brasher spent his time walking between the gym and the locker room, which were connected to each other by a doorway. He further testified that Coach Brasher could not see the area where his locker was located from the locker room door.

Finally, Wallmuth testified that "almost every day," "somebody [was] getting pushed or shoved into lockers, rolled around, thrown around, I mean, hair being pulled, arms twisted" and that Zeno, Smith, and Davidson were almost always involved. He testified that Coach Brasher was never in the locker room when those things were going on, but when Coach Brasher was in the locker room, none of the above occurred and "they would just go and get dressed and leave." He testified that that type of activity was directed at him "about ten times" but he never told Coach Brasher about it because he was scared. He had told Coach Brasher on a couple of occasions that someone else had gotten hurt, but Coach Brasher told him not to worry about it. He testified that he did not tell Coach Brasher about the threats he received on the day of the incident because he thought the other three students had forgotten about it, that it had "died over," and that on other occasions when those students had threatened him, nothing ever happened as a result.

Smith testified that there was no supervision in the locker room. He denied holding Wallmuth while he was kicked and claimed he did not know Davidson was going to kick him. He testified that the scuffle was already taking place when he got back to the lockers and that the kick was sudden and surprising. Zeno testified and admitted that he and Smith were "horseplaying" with Wallmuth for two or three minutes but were not mad at him. Zeno testified that Davidson just ran in, kicked Wallmuth, and said "I told you I was going to get you." He further testified that Davidson had yelled at Wallmuth during the volleyball game that he was *344 going to get him when they got to the locker room but that he never thought Davidson would actually do anything. Zeno testified that Coach Brasher would come in the locker room occasionally but that Coach Brasher had to be three different places at once, the locker room, the gym and the canteen, in order to supervise all the students in the class.

The principal of Jones Street Junior High, Michael Vercher, testified that he did not recall any specific incidents in this physical education class, that he knew of no prior discipline problems concerning Zeno, Smith, or Davidson, and that Coach Brasher received the highest evaluations each year. The discipline records showed that Smith had been disciplined on February 23, 1996, for an incident in the locker room, that Zeno had been disciplined on March 6 and 23, 1996, for violating gym rules and for disrespect of authorities, and that Davidson had prior discipline reports for fighting on October 12, 1994 and January 25, 1995, and for fighting in gym class on January 26, 1996. As a result of the incident, all three students were suspended.

The assistant principal, Lee Dotson, testified that he was never informed of daily fights in this physical education class but did recall receiving calls from parents in certain gym classes.

Wallmuth's mother, Terri Wallmuth, testified that before this incident, she was not aware of any incidents at school involving Joshua or the three defendants.

Coach Brasher testified regarding his usual routine in handling his gym classes.

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Bluebook (online)
813 So. 2d 341, 164 Educ. L. Rep. 511, 2002 La. LEXIS 959, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wallmuth-v-rapides-parish-school-bd-la-2002.