Not A Game: Lawsuit Claims Teachers Thought Child Was ‘Playing Dead’ When He Collapsed and Died at School

The parents of a 5-year-old boy who collapsed and died in April 2022 have filed a lawsuit—one year to the day—against the Town of West Hartford and its Board of Education.

Romeo Pierre Louis was playing with classmates at Charter Oak International Academy in Connecticut when he collapsed. According to the lawsuit, reported by the New York Post, teachers, who could see Pierre Louis, thought he was playing a game kids call “play dead.” Romeo was lying on the ground for about 10 minutes without receiving medical attention. Once teachers realized it wasn’t a game, it was too late to save him.

D’Meza Shultz Pierre Louis and Chantel Pierre Louis are suing to bring awareness and hope something like this never happens again. “We know that nothing will bring our son back,” Romeo’s mother told WFSB. “All we can do is keep his memory in our hearts and do what we can so this doesn’t happen to another child. Listen to our children.” A state medical examiner classified Romeo’s death as “cardiac channelopathy, Brugada syndrome (scn5a variant), and the manner of his death as “natural,” with no further investigation needed.

Relatives and loved ones gathered with flowers and signs at the spot Romeo died for a vigil last week. His father led the group in the Lord’s Prayer—one of Romeo’s favorite scriptures. His big sister, Taty Pierre Louis, described her brother as her “mini-me.” “He was very open, a very lovable little boy. Full of energy, very [about his] family, loving and always wanted attention,” Taty said. “He loves his superheroes very much. And I feel like in a way, he was like our superhero.”

The town and Board of Education’s counsel have issued a statement in response to the lawsuit. “The death of a child under any circumstance is a tragedy, and we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Romeo,” West Hartford Corporation Counsel Dallas C. Dodge said. “Out of respect for the legal process, the Town and the Board of Education will not comment further.”