In a deeply distressing case from Greenville, South Carolina, a group of middle school students allegedly bullied an 11-year-old girl to the point of attempting suicide and then continued their cruelty by mocking her online while she lay unconscious in the hospital. The lawsuit, filed by the victim's mother, has brought to light horrific details that have shocked the community and sparked nationwide outrage.

The young victim, identified as Kelaia Turner, endured relentless physical and verbal abuse at the hands of five classmates from Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School for over a year. On March 17, 2023, the torment reached a breaking point, and Kelaia tragically attempted to take her own life by hanging. According to an NY Post report, Kelaia was pronounced dead for a harrowing eight minutes before doctors successfully revived her.

"She was cool to the touch, blood was coming out of her nose. She had fully committed to what it was that she was attempting to do, and she was gone for 8 whole minutes," her mother recounted, describing the unimaginable horror of finding her daughter in such a state.

Although medical intervention saved her life, the ordeal left Kelaia with severe brain injuries, and she remained in a coma for several weeks. The trauma did not end there. While Kelaia lay in the intensive care unit, one of her alleged bullies visited the hospital, photographed her unconscious state, and shared the images on social media. These pictures were accompanied by mocking remarks and rumors about her injuries, adding another layer of cruelty to an already devastating situation.

In response, Ty Turner, Kelaia's mother, has filed a lawsuit against Greenville County Schools, accusing the district of negligence in handling her repeated complaints about the bullying her daughter faced. The lawsuit highlights the systemic failure to protect Kelaia despite her mother’s ongoing efforts to bring the harassment to light. The family contends that the school’s inaction directly contributed to the tragic chain of events.

According to the lawsuit filed on November 12, Kelaia first reported being bullied by her peers at Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School in August 2021, when she was just 11 years old. Despite her complaints, the torment continued for a year and a half, with some teachers allegedly enabling the harassment instead of stopping it.

The 24-page lawsuit paints a grim picture of the school’s failure to intervene. It alleges that staff and faculty members were not just indifferent but actively complicit in fostering the environment that led to Kelaia’s March 2023 suicide attempt. The bullying reportedly began after Kelaia decided to wear her natural hair to school, a decision that led to cruel remarks. Classmates mocked her appearance, calling her a “roach” and claiming she “resembled a man.”

The lawsuit accuses the school, along with nine faculty and administrative members, of “negligent, grossly negligent, reckless, and wanton acts” that contributed to Kelaia’s suffering. Specific incidents detailed in the lawsuit highlight the role of teachers in perpetuating the abuse. For instance, in December 2021, students reportedly referred to Kelaia as “a man and roach” in teacher Olivia Bennett’s class. Instead of defending Kelaia, Bennett allegedly “said nothing to the other students to stop it.” When a student mockingly asked, “Where’s the roach?”, Bennett reportedly pointed at Kelaia, further humiliating her.

Kelaia’s mother, Ty Turner, has shared the extent of the abuse her daughter endured. In an October 2024 Facebook post, Ty listed a slew of demeaning names classmates called Kelaia, including “Mustache Face,” “Ugmo,” and “FatBlackUgly.” These names, she said, left lasting emotional scars on her young daughter.

The lawsuit also recounts another disturbing incident from May 2022, when classmates played a racist YouTube video during class to taunt Kelaia. Instead of condemning the behavior, the class teacher, John Teer, reportedly “allowed the song to be played without any comment on its offensiveness, nor any reprimand to or discussion with the student who played it.”

The lawsuit against Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School details not just the relentless verbal abuse endured by Kelaia Turner, but also accounts of physical bullying that escalated unchecked. According to the lawsuit, incidents of physical altercations between Kelaia and other students were routinely mishandled by school staff. In one notable incident in October 2022, a student repeatedly “pushed” Kelaia. Despite the obvious aggression, the only action taken by faculty was to advise that future incidents be reported to them, offering no immediate resolution or support.

The harassment did not stop there. The lawsuit states that the bullying escalated further, with her classmates vandalizing her belongings. Her clothes were “hung, water was poured on them, and then thrown into the trash.” These incidents of cruelty continued without meaningful intervention, culminating in the tragic events of March 17, 2023.

On that day, Kelaia, who was then 12 years old, “attempted suicide by hanging as a direct result of the bullying of five Fischer Middle students.” Her mother, Ty Turner, shared harrowing details of the night with WYFF, a local NBC affiliate. She found her daughter at 11:18 p.m., hanging lifelessly. “She was cool to the touch, blood was coming out of her nose, and she had already urinated on herself. She had fully committed to what it was that she was attempting to do, and she was gone for eight whole minutes. They couldn’t find her pulse, and they couldn’t find her heartbeat. There were grown men in the room crying,” Ty recounted.

Though paramedics managed to revive Kelaia, she spent an agonizing 101 days in the hospital, with several weeks in a coma. She ultimately sustained “significant brain damage.” Describing her daughter’s current condition to WFYY, Ty Turner said, “Kelaia has no control currently over her body. She’s total care, nonverbal, on a trach, on a feeding tube. She requires around the clock care that, for the most part, is administered by her father and I. We’ve recently gotten the help of a nurse three days a week.” The burden of care is immense, and Ty confessed, “It’s an absolute mountain.”

Adding to the family’s pain, in the days following Kelaia’s admission to the ICU, where she spent 31 days, some students gained access to her while she was unconscious. These students photographed her in her vulnerable state and circulated the images on social media with the intent to mock her. The lawsuit states that “[a]fter the pictures were circulated, [another student] also assisted in spreading rumors about [Kelaia]’s injuries.”

Unaware of these photos, Ty Turner emailed the school the next day to file a formal complaint, criticizing the institution for its “lack of enforcement of Fischer Middle’s anti-bullying policies.” She pointed out that her daughter had been reporting incidents of bullying since 2021, yet no intervention was made to protect her.

The response from the school administration to the tragedy faced by Kelaia Turner and her family has drawn significant criticism. According to the lawsuit, the school’s principals claimed that while they maintained “a zero-tolerance policy for bullying,” they had “no way to enforce it.” This statement has only fueled outrage over the systemic failures that allowed the relentless bullying to persist.

Ty Turner, Kelaia’s mother, discovered the existence of the photos weeks later, adding another layer of grief to an already unbearable ordeal. The lawsuit underscores the devastating toll of the harassment, stating that “[a]s a direct result of the bullying which had occurred since 2021, [Kelaia Turner] attempted suicide by hanging and is now on total life care with severe brain damage. She requires 24-hour care.”

In their pursuit of justice, the Turner family is seeking actual and punitive damages against the school and the nine named defendants, with the amount to be determined by a jury. The lawsuit represents not only their fight for accountability but also a plea to address the systemic gaps that allowed this tragedy to unfold.

Initially, the family chose to remain anonymous in their lawsuit, citing concerns about “embarrassment and publicity” after enduring years of bullying. However, as the story gained attention, Ty Turner launched a GoFundMe page to help cover Kelaia’s mounting medical and care expenses. The fundraiser has already surpassed its $15,000 goal, reflecting widespread public support.

The case has struck a nerve with netizens, who have expressed their anger and demand for accountability across social media platforms. One X user wrote, “Name and show the bullies and their trash parents from Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School in Greenville. Sue the hospital as well. Kelaia Turner needs all the justice.”

Another user echoed this sentiment with fiery words: “I hope these demonic children and their shitty ass parents and teachers and school officials get exactly what they gave out and what they allowed to happen.”

Similarly, a third user commented, “This is truly sick and heartbreaking. These bullies need to go to prison. Justice for Kelaia Turner.”