An attorney filed the lawsuit on March 11 in Fayette Circuit Court. The complaint named the Fayette County Board of Education, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, and several staff members at Meadowthorpe Elementary School as defendants.
According to the complaint, the child arrived at Meadowthorpe Elementary on Nov. 17, 2025, and was placed in the school’s moderate to severe disability classroom at around 12:01 p.m. The complaint stated the child was well known to staff for being drawn to the classroom window and frequently attempting to open it. A teacher had reportedly requested a window lock around one month before the incident, but the complaint stated no lock had been installed by the time of the incident.
At around 12:33 p.m., the complaint detailed, the child climbed out of the open, unattended window and exited the building entirely unnoticed by any adult in the classroom. For the next 19 minutes, the complaint stated the child roamed the school yard, fully visible on the school’s security cameras, while no adult reported him missing.
The child then found a hole in the fence separating the school property from New Circle Road, a heavily trafficked roadway under active construction at the time, and crawled through it, according to the complaint.
Further, the complaint stated that he began running along the shoulder of the road as traffic passed, with construction materials, signage, and concrete barriers nearby. At least one 911 caller reported the child was attempting to climb over a concrete barrier into lanes of travel.
Lexington Animal Care and Control, which was in the area on an unrelated call, spotted the child and secured him. Multiple concerned citizens also called 911. When police arrived, Animal Care and Control had the child in their arms, and he continued to need physical restraint as he tried to run.
The complaint stated the child was terrified and stressed, immediately vomited, and had an elevated heart rate. He was taken to UK Pediatric Emergency Center. At the time of his transport, the complaint claimed staff at Meadowthorpe Elementary still did not know he was missing.
The complaint stated the MSD classroom was equipped with two school-issued radios, an emergency wall button, and an emergency microphone lanyard, and that none of those tools were used after the child was discovered missing.
A Child Protective Services investigation followed the incident. The complaint reported findings of abandonment, supervision neglect, and threat of physical abuse were substantiated.
The complaint included counts of negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress, outrage, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and punitive damages. It seeks damages exceeding $75,000, along with attorneys’ fees and other relief.
“Schools are entrusted with the safety of some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” lead counsel Masten Childers said. “When a child with known supervision needs is able to leave a classroom, exit a school building, and ultimately reach a major roadway without anyone realizing it, that represents a serious breakdown in the systems designed to protect students.”
“Children with developmental disabilities often require additional safeguards and supervision,” attorney Kaci Christopher said. “Families deserve to know that when their child is entrusted to a school’s care, reasonable protections are in place to keep them safe.”
A local news station reached out to Fayette County Public Schools regarding the lawsuit:
“As a matter of standard practice, Fayette County Public Schools does not provide statements or discuss legal matters.”
