Trial to be held in civil suit against PdC Area School District
By Ted Pennekamp
During a recent hearing in La Crosse County Circuit Court regarding a lawsuit against the Prairie du Chien Area School District, it was decided that a jury trial will be held beginning Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. If necessary, the trial will continue on Oct. 27, 28 and 29 in the Branch 3 Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center.
The case involves a civil lawsuit filed by Dennis Knight of Prairie du Chien alleging personal injury inflicted on his son, Talmadge Knight, who sustained a chemical burn to his hand while a student at Bluff View Intermediate School.
The lawsuit demands $50,000 in compensation for damages sustained by Talmadge.
The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 18, 2018. On Nov. 6, 2019, the school district filed a motion for summary judgement, but La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Todd Bjerke denied it.
Talmadge was 14 years old when he was burned when a Bluff View principal rubbed a cleaning agent on Talmadge’s hand to remove an obscenity written the hand.
The principal was acquitted of child abuse-recklessly causing harm during a trial in August of 2018.
Defendants in the civil lawsuit include the Prairie du Chien Area School District, EMC Property and Casualty Company of Brookfield, Wis., and Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, Wis.