Man sues school for PE injury
Knee fracture student said he was not shown how to high jump safely
A STUDENT who claimed he suffered a fracture to his knee when he took a high jump during PE class has sued his school.
Mitchell Dunne, who was 16 and a Transition Year pupil at the time, told the High Court he ran at the obstacle which was about two-and-a-half feet high and when he was in the air he heard a crack.
He said: “I landed in between the mats. I felt the pain.”
The claimant, now 20, had through his mother Regina Dunne sued the trustees and board of management of St Paul’s Secondary School, Monasterevin, Co Kildare, as a result of the accident on May 2, 2014.
It is claimed there was an alleged failure to adequately train or supervise Mr Dunne as to the manner in which and the methods by which he could safely perform a high jump.
It is further argued he was allegedly exposed to a risk of injury of which they knew or ought to have known.
The claims are denied and the school contends the PE teacher demonstrated how to do the jump before students took part.
Mr Dunne told the court the accident happened about 15 minutes into the PE session. He said when he landed there was “a bone out” and he was in pain. He added the principal examined around his knee and thought it was dislocated.
Mr Dunne said: “I was shaking because the pain had set in. It was agony.”
The school rang his mother and he told the court he was helped into her car by his classmates.
He was brought to the hospital where it showed he had a fracture.
He later had to have an operation and screws inserted in the knee and was in the hospital for five days.
Mr Dunne was in a cast for a month.
He added: “I was in agony for weeks and weeks after.”
Cross-examined by the school’s lawyer Paul Burns, Mr Dunne, from Abbey View in Monasterevin, denied there was a warm-up.
Counsel put it to him the teacher demonstrated the jump by stepping over it.
Mr Dunne replied the PE teacher just showed where to start the activity. He agreed it was not compulsory to take part.
PE teacher Elaine Mahony said they did a warm-up including skipping and she showed the students how to do the jump.
She added Mr Dunne was on his fourth high jump when the accident occurred.
The case before Mr Justice Anthony Barr continues. Mitchell Dunne