A mother and son filed suit in March against the Walthall County School District alleging negligence that led to serious injuries.
Frankie Downs Mallard filed suit on behalf of her son, Antonio Downs, claiming that a lack of supervision by school personnel led to burns, abrasions and psychological damage.
According to the court filing, Downs expected to work out in the school’s weight room on Sept. 27, 2018, when he was 15. None of the school’s coaches were present, but three older football players were in the weight room.
The suit alleges the players, in the absence of any of the school’s coaches, stuffed Downs into a clothes dryer in the football fieldhouse and turned it on, which resulted in severe burns to Downs’ body and a cut to his knee.
Since that day, the suit claims Downs has suffered flashbacks, nightmares and bouts of anxiety.
The plaintiffs seek an award of medical costs and damages for continuing pain and suffering, with a base claim of $500,000 for actual damages.
Mallard and Downs are represented by Williams, Williams and Montgomery law firm of Hattiesburg.
Superintendent Wade Carney did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Other civil lawsuits filed in March in Walthall County include:
• Citizens Bank vs. Zachary C. Bruce, debt collection.
• Tower Loan of Mississippi vs. Leslie T. Robinson, James E. Dillon, Shadric A. Lampton, Shannon L. Ellis, Jimmy E. Badon Jr. and Jason L. Holmes, debt collection.
• First National Bank of Omaha vs. Joel Soprano, debt collection.
• Crown Asset Management vs. Vickie Denton, debt collection.
• Portfolio Recovery Associates vs. Kim Gisclair, debt collection.
• Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center vs. LaTanya Appleberry and Mary A. O’Quin, garnishment.
• 21st Mortgage Corp. vs. Joseph C. McNabb, replevin.
• Southern Surgical Hospital vs. Morgan McMichael, debt collection.
• Discover Bank vs. Roy Walker, debt collection.
• Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance vs. Dejamion Dillon, subrogation.
• Reagan Power and Compression vs. Ram Petroleum, Ronnie Lott and Gary Wray, and Bellway LLC, breach of contract.
• Advanced Recovery Systems vs. Minnie Anders, debt collection.
• Second Round Sub LLC vs. Zellie Craft, debt
collection.
• Autovest LLC vs. Francis Ball and Donnis Peters, debt collection.
• Regions Bank vs. Kenneth W. Foster, debt collection.
• McComb Anesthesia Associates vs. Wesley W. Fortenberry and Bridgett A. Breeland, garnishment.
• Patricia Ballhagen vs. Ryan Richardson and John Does, motor vehicle negligence.
• Stewarts Testing Inc. vs. Ram Petroleum, debt collection.
