A disabled boy and his mother are suing a Belleville school district for allegedly leaving him unsupervised long enough for him to wander off in a gait trainer and fall down nearby stairs.
Rachael Rodowick, as mother of minor Leonard Joseph Rodowick IV, filed a lawsuit on Aug. 10 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Belleville School District No. 118 and the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative, alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, on May 12, the boy was attending school in Belleville in a special needs class using a gait trainer. The suit says the boy was allegedly unsupervised and was able to travel across the room and fall down the stairs.
The plaintiff alleges the fall caused her son injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, loss of a normal life, increased risk of future injury and medical expenses.
The plaintiff claims the defendants failed to supervise the boy, provide adequate equipment and inspect the equipment to ensure its safety.
The Rodowicks seek damages of more than $200,000, plus legal costs. They are represented by attorneys Daniel K. Juncker and Kevin Boyne of the law firm of Daniel K. Juncker in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 15-L-450.