Family files suit over girl’s death

The family of a 15-year-old girl who died during an altercation at Rayville High School is moving forward with a lawsuit.

Breana Howard died Dec. 14, after she fell and was struck by a bus during an altercation with another student at the bus loading zone at Rayville High School. The other student, Courtney McClain, survived with injuries to her face and arm.

More than a dozen witnesses to the incident confirmed the girls were struggling and then fell as the bus rolled by. A police investigation found the death to be an accident.

The suit, filed on behalf of Nakisha and Kevin Credit, alleges negligence on the part of the school system, the administration, the teachers on duty, the bus driver and the surviving girl’s family. Had school policy been observed and the children properly supervised, the child’s death would not have occurred, according to the suit.

Richland Parish Superintendent of Schools Cathy Stockton said she feels the allegations are unfounded, explaining that privacy laws regarding students prohibited her from discussing the case further.

“There are a number of factual errors in the lawsuit,” Stockton said. “I feel confident these will be addressed when we go to court and are allowed to speak about them.”

Stockton added she would be meeting with the school system’s lawyers Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to proceed, adding that the event was an unavoidable tragedy and that the girl’s death had saddened both students and staff at the school.

“We’re saddened that we had the loss of a child’s life regardless of how it occurred,” she said.