Bedford vice-principal who was stabbed by student files lawsuit

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: May 02, 2025 11:39 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

A precocious schoolhouse vice-principal who was stabbed by a pupil 2 years agone successful Bedford, N.S., is suing the school's information guard, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education and the province, saying the incidental was preventable.

A connection of claim filed connected Monday successful Nova Scotia Supreme Court says Wayne Rodgers of Middle Sackville, N.S., was stabbed doubly by the pupil astatine Charles P. Allen High School connected March 20, 2023, causing physical and intelligence injuries.

The teen — who was 15 astatine the clip of the incident — had 4 knives successful his possession erstwhile helium was called to the schoolhouse bureau to explicate putting up unauthorized posters successful the school, tribunal heard during the transgression case.

During a treatment astir imaginable consequences, he stabbed the vice-principal twice. Rodgers had to person a conduit inserted successful his thorax aft helium was taken to infirmary and required country for an wounded to his diaphragm.

The unit subordinate who heard his screams was besides stabbed.

The boy, whose identity is protected nether the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault. He was sentenced past September to two years of probation.

The allegations

The connection of assertion alleges the school's full-time information defender failed to admit that the pupil was becoming agitated and assertive and failed to instrumentality steps to de-escalate the situation.

It besides alleges the defender was negligent successful leaving Rodgers unsocial with the pupil "after causing the pupil to go agitated and aggressive," and negligent successful closing the vice-principal's doorway erstwhile leaving, "which yet locked from the extracurricular and trapped the plaintiff wrong with the student."

The suit alleges the Halifax Regional Centre for Education negligently employed the information guard, who did not person due grooming successful "search and seizure oregon de-escalation procedures oregon techniques."

It besides alleges the determination centre and the state failed to instrumentality due steps to supply for the carnal information of employees, contempt being alert of the past of unit astatine the schoolhouse and "specific concerns regarding the student." 

It goes connected to item Rodgers's physical and intelligence injuries.

"The plaintiff says that this incidental was preventable, and the losses and damages helium suffered were caused successful full oregon successful portion by the negligent acts and/or omissions of the defendants," the connection of assertion says.

The suit seeks damages, but does not specify an amount.

The allegations person not been proven successful tribunal and a notice of defence has not yet been filed.

A spokesperson for Halifax Regional Centre for Education declined to remark connected Friday, saying the substance is earlier the courts. But Lindsey Bunin did corroborate Rodgers is connected leave.

Robert Carter, Rodgers's lawyer, did not instantly instrumentality a petition for remark Friday. A spokesperson for the province's Justice Department said it would not beryllium due to remark connected a substance earlier the courts.