Parent's lawsuit claims coach hit her son in brawl between Adamsville, Scotts Hill

Michael Odom
Jackson Sun

A lawsuit has been filed against a West Tennessee school system, coach and the Tennessee athletics association following a fight during a basketball game on Feb. 5.

Adamsville boys basketball coach Nathaniel Root, the McNairy County Board of Education and the TSSAA were named defendants in a lawsuit filed March 8 by Scotts Hill parent Lisa Kelley, whose 14-year-old son was struck by Root, the lawsuit says.

McNairy County director of schools Greg Martin said that he knew that a lawsuit was pending, but that he had not seen anything official. He referred any further questions to the county attorney, Craig Kennedy.

"We reviewed everything that was forthcoming to us," Martin said. "We felt good about the steps that we took, according to what we were able to view and see. We thought we took appropriate action."

According to Martin, the school board reviewed the video while local law enforcement was doing its investigation. Root was placed on suspension for three weeks. Root was reinstated as a teacher and coach last week.

He has not been charged, according to the McNairy County Sheriff's Department.

TSSAA staff were not aware of the lawsuit when asked Friday at the boys basketball state tournament.

The lawsuit stems from a bench-clearing brawl that occurred after Scotts Hill defeated host Adamsville.

In the complaint, Lisa Kelley states that she was a few feet away when, she alleges, Root hit her son with such force that the son hit the bleachers several feet away, knocking him unconscious and loosening his teeth. The complaint states that her son's mouth was full of blood when he regained consciousness.

The lawsuit states that the images and the trauma of seeing her son attacked by Root caused her to have such mental distress that she regularly experiences panic attacks and severe loss of sleep.

The son, according to the complaint, was taken to the hospital following the incident for brain scans, and that his jaw was swollen, teeth loosened and cheek was damaged as a result of his teeth piercing the skin. The lawsuit states that the son had no memory of being hit by Root.

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages to compensate for medical bills, pain and suffering and attorney fees.

There are five total counts on the complaint. Count 1 is assault of the plaintiff is unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. Count 2 is against the McNairy Board of Education for failure to properly train and supervise its employees.

Count 3 is assault and battery against Root. Count 4 is negligence brought against the McNairy Board of Education and TSSAA. Count 5 is intentional infliction of emotional distress against the McNairy Board of Education and Root.

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Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonmsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.