Conn. Parents Of 5-Year-Old Son File Lawsuit Against School; Parent Thought The Boy Was “Playing Dead” When He Collapsed During Recess

The parents of the 5-year-old boy who fatally collapsed during recess are suing the school and town.

Romeo Pierre-Louis collapsed and was on the ground for nearly ten minutes as nearby teachers ignored him, thinking he was pretending to “play dead,” a new lawsuit reads.

The young boy’s parents say in court documents that their son died at the Charter Oak International Academy in April 2022 because of negligence, the New York Post reported.

Several classmates told teachers about Romeo’s collapse, but they still assumed he was playing a game the children called “play dead,” the suit claims. A game the police report affirmed the children were known to play during recess.

Once the teachers realized Romeo actually needed medical assistance, it was too late to save him, according to the lawsuit.

A state medical examiner classified his death as “cardiac channelopathy, Brugada syndrome (scn5a variant) and ruled it “natural,” meaning there would be no further investigation.

The family filed the lawsuit Wednesday, exactly one year after the child’s death. Romeo’s friends and family gathered at the site where he collapsed to pay tribute.

The boy’s father, D’Meza Shultz Pierre Louis, led the group in The Lord’s Prayer, which he said was one of his son’s favorite recitations.

“We know that nothing will bring our son back.

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,” Romeo’s mother, Chantel, said during the vigil.

Romeo’s older sister, Taty Pierre Louis, described her late 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. He loves his superheroes very much. And I feel like, in a way, he was like our superhero,” she said.

“This tragedy has deeply affected the Charter Oak International Academy community, and the school district continues to make grief support and emotional assistance available to any student or educator who needs it. Due to the pending legal claims, the school district will refrain from further comment,” West Hartford Acting Superintendent Andy Morrow said in response to the lawsuit.