Utah School District Pays $100,000 for "Drunk Goggles" Injury

The teacher actually encouraged his students to run around the classroom and play tag with the drunk goggles on.

Lexington High School students try to negotiate their way wearing 'drunk goggles'
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Lexington High School students Maggie Oram and Mehk Khubchandani try to negotiate their way wearing 'drunk goggles'

Lexington High School students try to negotiate their way wearing 'drunk goggles'

A Utah school district has agreed to pay $100,000 to the family of a teenage girl after she sustained a horrific leg injury from a demonstration in health class involving "drunk goggles" (special goggles designed, as you might have guessed, to mimic the effects of intoxication), reported the Standard Examiner. The exercise went horribly wrong when Kylie Nielsen, who was 13 years old at the time, got her foot caught in a desk, and twisted her ankle.

Kylie suffered multiple bone fractures, requiring two surgeries. Her parents argue that one of their daughter's legs is now shorter than the other. As a result of the injury, Kylie was not only unable to participate in an all-star junior high track meet scheduled for later that day, she may never be able to play the sport again. Nielsen has since transitioned over to competing in golf.

Nielsen's parents have accused her teacher Rick Smith and the Davis School District of negligence and recklessness. The suit claims that, at one point, the students were encouraged by Smith to play tag and run around a classroom filled with potentially dangerous furniture, like chairs, desks, and tables, while donning the drunk goggles. 

The Davis School District reached multiple settlements with the Nielsen family around two months ago, which includes putting more than $61,000 into a trust account for Kylie that cannot be accessed until she turns 18, forking over $13,000 towards her medical expenses, and providing nearly $26,000 to cover their legal fees. Shauna Lund, spokeswoman for the school district, released a statement on Tuesday apologizing for their carelessness. “It was a tragic accident,” Lund said. “We are sorry for all Kylie went through as a result of it.”

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