Opinion ID: 1727771
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether a genuine issue of material fact existed which would have prevented dismissal of this case prior to trial

Text: ¶ 4. Blackmon alleges that both JPS and Simmons should be held responsible for the injury to her daughter. We disagree. This Court has viewed the video tape of the incident and finds that Blackmon's injury was simply an accident. At the time the injury occurred, Simmons was physically present in the classroom and actively involved in supervising the skit. No horseplay or playtime frenzy was involved in the accident. There was simply no negligence on the part of Simmons or JPS with regard to this incident, and Jones failed to submit any evidentiary materials showing otherwise. ¶ 5. While performing in the skit, Blackmon was sitting in the backseat of a car. The car was made up of four chairs, with two chairs representing the front seats and two chairs representing the back seats. As she moved her head back and forth, Blackmon accidently struck her mouth on the back of the chair in front of her. No one told Blackmon to move her head in this manner. The only person responsible for this accident was Blackmon herself. As Judge Patton correctly concluded, Blackmon's accident was an unfortunate, yet unforeseeable accident. This case is not an example of the public school system's disciplinary procedures or safety precautions collapsing because an employee failed to recognize or prevent foreseeable harm to a child. The video tape speaks for itself, and Judge Patton was correct in finding no genuine issue of material fact existed in this case and that the defendants were entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Consequently, this issue is without merit.