Teacher Required to Pay a Family $1 Million After Handing Out Granola Bars

Parents often send their children to school each day without thinking much about it. You believe that the building is secure, and the teachers should know how to handle the students. However, one family was filled with pain because the teacher didn’t do what they were supposed to, which caused significant problems for their child.

What would you do in a similar situation? The grief you’d likely feel would be unbearable, and you’d want the responsible party to suffer and pay. That’s what one family had to deal with, and it was all because of a simple granola bar. Let’s continue reading to learn more about what happened to the child.

A Mother’s Love

When she heard the police report, her heart was filled with pain. She was worried about her son and questioned everything. In fact, she wiped away the tears while grief and anger surged up into her. She had to make the teacher pay for what they did.

Her Dreams

Jessica was tired of her life and wanted to have a large family by 30 years old. Instead, her husband left her, and she was faced with the prospect of raising a teen by herself. That’s why she moved to Carthage, MO, and things took a turn for the worse.

Pain and Regret

Jessica had no idea that her husband had been cheating, but she finally found out. She decided to get a divorce and had no family available to help. Therefore, she moved to Carthage because it was cheaper and could be a good fresh start.

Settling In

She wanted to give Cody, her son, everything he needed, and he seemed to be happy with the move. Overall, Jessica looked for a job as a hairdresser because she’d soon run out of the savings she’d built up. Luckily, she quickly got an interview.

Cody Hayes

Cody wanted the best for his mother and had discovered his dad’s unfaithfulness. While he didn’t want them to divorce, he realized his mom should know. In fact, his father was always drunk and starting fights, and he wished to get away.

The School Experience

Carthage offered the peace and quiet they needed, and they seemed happy. Plus, he got enrolled in high school and wasn’t bullied because of his father’s bad practices. Cody quickly made friends and started forgetting about his past!

A Good Experience

Cody struggled with his grades in the last school, but he was thriving here. In fact, he enjoyed his classes, and all the students were welcoming. Plus, the teachers cared about him until the substitute arrived on the campus and changed all that.

His Mom’s Teachings

Cody learned that the biology teacher would be on maternity leave, which meant a substitute. Ms. Davis didn’t seem like a good person, but he tried not to judge her based on his first impression. His mother had taught him that, but it was difficult.

Different Teaching Style

The teacher asked students to read the textbook, but she sat on her cell phone the whole time. Plus, she was quite young and wore a biker’s jacket and jeans to class. Overall, she snapped at the students, wouldn’t learn their names, and was horrible.

Doesn’t Know Biology

Ms. Davis didn’t really know much about biology and often focused on the country’s politics instead. Overall, she handed out some quizzes on topics to cover and went back to her phone. They were all confused, but her behavior soon got worse.

It Continues

The biology classes for the rest of the week saw the same pattern. She’d arrive, discuss political views, and hand out quizzes on topics they’d never learned. Cody wondered how she became a teacher because she had a bad attitude.

It Works

One day, Ms. Davis tried something new, dividing everyone into groups. However, she continued with the quizzes. Still, Cody liked Carthage because he and his mother would play video games and go to movies on the weekend.

Feeling Better

He knew that his mom was slowly healing from the divorce; she was less troubled, and he liked the idea of her moving on. However, he had no idea of the tragedy he would suffer and would have put a stop to it if he’d known.

Top Two Things

Cody didn’t care about anything except his mother and school. He wanted the best for his mom, and he finally had friends who would help him deal with his past. However, Ms. Davis was a huge problem, and he hoped she’d be gone soon.

The Simple Request

Cody was whispering to his friend Tim in biology class. It was a simple question, but it caused so much trouble. Things got out of hand quickly, and Cody paid the ultimate price for that disobedience. What did the substitute teacher do?!

Just a Bite

Cody had missed lunch because he had to study for English. It didn’t cross his mind that it was wrong; he simply saw his friend with a muffin under his desk and asked for a bite. However, the question changed his life and threatened his very existence.

Sharing Is Best

It was a harmless request, and Cody whispered to avoid having Ms. Davis hear him. Then, his stomach grumbled loudly. This caused Tim to feel sorry for him, so he started dividing the muffin in two, but the teacher walked over and then in front of them.

Stand Up

She grabbed Tim’s muffin and crumbled it up, but that was only the beginning. Ms. Davis demanded that Cody stand up, and he shot to his feet. However, Tim ignored the request. He was daring the teacher but had no idea how things would turn out.

The Front of the Class

Ms. Davis didn’t like to be disobeyed and yelled, “Stand” again. Then, she put her chewing gum in Tim’s hair. This shocked the class because they saw the glob hit his scalp. However, it wasn’t the end of the rant; they would be surprised to the core.

Terrified

It shocked the young children, and they were scared. Then, she pointed to Cody and told him to go to the front of the class. He’d seen a lot of weird things from the substitute teacher, but she was going too far, and it would get worse.

It’s Illegal

Cody walked in silence to the front of the room. He knew he would face a scary punishment after seeing what she’d done to Tim. Then, she asked why he’d made noise during the quiz. He swallowed that lump in his throat and tried to speak.

Unexpected Response

He stammered that he’d been hungry after not eating lunch, and the teacher made him repeat it more loudly. Then, she screamed that they weren’t allowed to eat in class. He wasn’t sure what to do while she walked up to him, especially after Tim’s situation.

Eat This

She reached into her purse and told him to eat the granola bar she’d produced. Cody’s face went pale immediately. Though she seemed to care, he couldn’t accept it. It would ultimately be like he’d signed his death warrant.

She Insists

Cody said he couldn’t take the granola bar, but the teacher wouldn’t accept that. In fact, she demanded he eat it right then and actually put it in his hand. He said that he was allergic to nuts, and the teacher actually smiled.

Forcing Him

Ms. Davis grabbed the bar from Cody and opened it. Now, the class was completely silent and watching with significant interest as she handed half the granola bar to the boy. She said he’d eat it, or she’d make his life hell!

He Couldn’t

Cody wasn’t sure what to do; this teacher was telling him to do something, but he knew he would get sick. Overall, he worried that his mom would be in trouble if he didn’t eat the bar, and he knew he could come out of the allergic attack.

Thinking Carefully

Cody had an EpiPen in his backpack, and he could use the antidote to counteract the nut allergy. This would put everything right. That’s what he thought, anyway. Therefore, he took a breath and bit off a small piece of the granola bar.

Burning

Ms. Davis wasn’t satisfied and demanded that he finish the full half of the bar. Then, she had the gall to give him the second part, and he felt a horrible and hot burning in his entire body. His tongue swelled, and his mind went cloudy. It was too late.

Can’t Breathe

He began coughing and couldn’t breathe. In fact, he was rubbing his chest while realizing that the reaction was far worse than he could have imagined. His body shut down, and he hit his knees, but the teacher just stared at him.

Friends Help

His mind was frazzled, and the sensation of pain and heat was worse. He couldn’t breathe or think and realized that he couldn’t make it to his bag. However, two friends picked him up and took him to the school nurse, almost dragging him.

Epinephrine and Benadryl

Immediately, the nurse knew what was happening and gave Cody a shot of Benadryl to reverse the allergic reaction. However, it didn’t help, so she went with epinephrine. Still, that didn’t work, so she had to call 911.

Shock and Understanding

The nurse called 911 and had paramedics in the building quickly. She went with Cody and had his mother meet them at the hospital. Jessica was heartbroken while she read the police report. Who could have done something so cruel to an innocent child?!

Many Thoughts

Everything went badly so fast. This was their fresh start, and one stupid teacher took that all away. The boy told her he was allergic to nuts, and she just didn’t care. When the mother found out the whole story, she was forced to take action.

Two Days

Jessica sat with her son in the intensive care unit for two days before the doctors could stabilize him. He was near death the entire time, and his mom had mixed feelings. Though she wanted revenge, she was broken.

Visiting His Friend

Tim came to visit Cody and explained the full situation to Jessica. In fact, Cody had to be in the hospital for 1.5 weeks, and his friends were always there. Still, he noticed the anger in his mom; she’d changed, and he was slightly worried.

Muted Phone Calls

His mother’s behavior worried him so much because she’d have quiet phone calls, but she seemed agitated about them. Plus, a strange man took her from Cody’s room one evening. What was happening here?

Reaction vs. Action

When Cody got home, Jessica explained that the man he’d seen was her lawyer. She’d decided to sue Ms. Davis for her improper actions. This shocked Cody because he didn’t expect it to go that far. Still, he couldn’t stop his mom.

The Long Trial

In a few months, Cody and Jessica were in a courtroom. Tim was there, but Ms. Davis was called to the stand, too. Everyone realized she had no remorse at all and seemed proud of what she’d done.

The Verdict

The trial featured two sections. Jessica chose to file a personal injury lawsuit for the cost of medical bills and the pain and suffering the teacher caused. She got awarded $1 million, and Ms. Davis had to pay it all.

The State Case

However, the state filed a case focused on child endangerment, and Ms. Davis lost. She was arrested for attempted murder, bodily harm, and child endangerment. She lost her teaching license and spent two years in jail.