Parents sue this Hilton Head school, say injured daughter was never offered first aid

A 10-year-old girl underwent surgery after she fractured her nose at a Hilton Head Preparatory School summer camp and staff failed to give her proper care, according to a lawsuit filed last month in Beaufort County Circuit Court.

Keri and Alfred Olivetti, of Hilton Head Island, filed the suit on behalf of their daughter who attended Prep’s 2018 Summer Day & Enrichment camp.

Their daughter, who is identified in the suit as R.O., was at camp on June 6, when she was instructed to enter a dark library with which she was unfamiliar. Upon entering, R.O. ran into a staircase and “seriously fractured her nose,” the suit states.

Prep staff allegedly contacted the girl’s parents but did not inform them of the serious nature of the injury. Staff also did not take any basic first-aid measures, such as applying ice, to reduce the possibility of any further medical complications, according to the suit.

In the aftermath of the incident, R.O. underwent surgical repair of her nose and may need to have additional surgeries for both “functional and cosmetic reasons” as she grows up, the suit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Hilton Head Prep and their staff failed to provide R.O. with a safe summer camp environment, properly supervise the campers and adequately train staff to use basic, timely first-aid techniques.

As a result of the school’s negligence, R.O. has and will continue to incur medical expenses, suffer pain and discomfort and mental and emotional anguish, the suit states.

The Olivettis are seeking an undisclosed amount of money in actual damages to cover the cost of past, present and future medical bills and the litigation.

The attorney representing the Olivetti family and administrators at Hilton Head Prep declined to comment on the pending litigation.

This is the second time in recent months the school has been sued.

In July, another parent sued Hilton Head Prep, its soccer coach and a player after his son was injured in a soccer game last year.

That case is still pending.

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 10:06 AM.