KILGORE, Texas (KETK) In late August, an eighth grade student at Kilgore Middle School in East Texas suffered a severe head injury after being body-slammed in the school cafeteria, causing controversy between community members and the district.

From the severe head injury and recovery, to the district’s review of safety measures and family members speaking out, affiliate KETK News has created a timeline of the incident that has caused parents to demand answers.

The incident: Aug. 21

During the afternoon of Aug. 21, Lukas Hardeman was talking with friends at the lunch table when another student picked him up and slammed him headfirst into a steel chair.

Hardeman was rushed to a local emergency room, then transferred to a Dallas hospital, where he spent five days in the ICU. The surgeons had to temporarily remove two parts of his skull to stop the bleeding and relieve swelling.

Photos courtesy of Catom L Hardeman

Doctors later confirmed he had a six-inch skull fracture, though there were no signs of permanent brain damage.

School board president’s statement: Aug. 25

On the morning of Aug. 25, the school board president, Jason Smith, released a statement about the limitations on what they can share about their students and staff.

“I know that when an incident happens in our schools, families want timely and clear information. At the same time, there are limits to what the District can share. Federal privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), require the District to protect the personal educational and health information of students and staff. This means that while the District cannot release certain details, it can and will communicate openly about what steps are being taken to keep our campuses supportive and safe to the extent that can be done without compromising campus security.”

Kilgore ISD School Board President, Jason Smith

Smith explained that going forward, the community can expect the district to:

• Provide updates as quickly and clearly as possible.
• Share what actions the school is taking to protect students and staff.
• Be transparent about what the school can release, while honoring the privacy of those involved.

“I am confident that I speak on behalf of the whole board when I say that we appreciate your trust and understanding as the district balances transparency with the responsibility to protect individual privacy,” Smith said. “Together, we will continue working to make Kilgore ISD a safe and thriving place for every student to learn and grow.”

School board meeting: Aug. 25

At the school board meeting before Hardeman’s return home, several community members expressed their criticism of the district’s policies.

“Kilgore ISD is minimizing it and stating it has been blown out of proportion,” David Trussell, the victim’s uncle, said. “It has not been blown out of proportion. We want answers, and we want change.”

One parent accused the Kilgore ISD of failing to follow its own policies, claiming the principal had not documented reports of bullying.

When Hardeman was finally released from the hospital, community members gathered on the streets of Kilgore to show support for the middle schooler and his family.

District statement: Aug. 26

Just one day after community members attended the school board meeting to share their concerns, the district released a statement to reiterate that the safety and security of their students and staff are their “highest priority.”

“In regards to last week’s student assault that occurred at our Middle School Campus, please know that the KISD School Board of Trustees and our KISD District fully understand and accept the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of every student entrusted into our care. The event from last week has left us all shaken, it was both unexpected and deeply troubling, and our thoughts and prayers remain with our student who was injured. The safety and security of our students and staff members continues to be our highest priority. No student should feel uncertain, afraid, or anxious about attending school. This week we have begun a thorough review of our campus safety measures, our district communication practices, security protocols, and programs that the District and our campuses have in place to keep everyone safe. KISD is committed to taking every necessary step to keep our students and staff safe, to improve upon our current safety practices, and to restore the trust of our students, parents, and Bulldog Community.”

Kilgore ISD

Review of safety measures: Aug. 29

Kilgore ISD announced on Facebook that they have been conducting a “thorough review” of its campus safety measures, district communication practices and programs.

“It is our goal to provide consistent, effective, and timely communication to keep our Bulldog parents and Kilgore community informed and engaged,” the district said in the statement.

Their new measures include email updates through ParentSqaure, which allows parents to anonymously report incidents and receive monthly newsletters.

The school has also implemented the “Crisis Go – Safe 2 Speak Up” reporting system as an online campus notification tool where reports can be made anonymously for the students safety and privacy.

More information about these tools can be found on the Kilgore ISD website.

Speaking out and next steps: Sept. 9

It has been almost three weeks since Lukas Hardeman was slammed headfirst into a steel chair, and his parents are now speaking to KETK News about the incident and the next steps in his recovery process.

Lukas’s stepmother, Catom Hardeman, explained that a lot of people have spoken about how they have reported bullying multiple times to the district, and nothing has happened: “It shouldn’t take something like this to bring change. But it shouldn’t have taken this. This should have never gotten to that point.” 

Despite the family’s desire for changes within the district, Catem said that Lukas will not be returning to Kilgore ISD. “He’s not going to go back to that school,” Hardeman said. “We’re going to homeschool and then maybe eventually do a private school. It kind of just depends on whether he wants to be around other students. Right now, we’re just trying to focus on him healing and not rushing it, and we’ll eventually pick up some homeschool.”

The family said that they have a long recovery process ahead with Lukas set to visit a brain injury clinic in the coming months.