Opinion ID: 2973933
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Pendergrass’s Version

Text: Pendergrass’s testimony regarding the altercation significantly differed from that of Gibbs: When I went to class the next day, my substitute told us to take out a pencil and to write in our journal about the weekend or what she had on the black board. And I told her I didn’t have a pencil. So she got up and told me to write my name on the board, and I did, and she got mad at me, and she slammed me up against the wall, and the back of my head hit the board, and she then slung me on the ground and jumped on me and started choking me. According to Pendergrass, Gibbs slammed her head against the blackboard hard enough to give her a headache. Gibbs then threw her on the ground and choked her for about one minute. C. Pendergrass’s Injuries After Pendergrass spoke with school officials and police officers, her grandmother took her to the hospital. A physician concluded that Pendergrass had sustained petechia and contusions on her neck. Petechia are red marks that result from the application of pressure to a particular area of the skin. Police officers took photographs of the marks at the hospital. Pendergrass later suffered from less visible injuries. She began having bad headaches and nightmares about the altercation. She avoided reminders of the altercation, trying not to walk past her old classroom. If she saw a person resembling Gibbs, she would become fearful and move away from that person. Based upon these symptoms, a therapist diagnosed Pendergrass with posttraumatic stress disorder. No. 05-3192 Ellis v. Cleveland Municipal School District Page 4