Brevard Public Schools inspecting its Promethean video displays after boy's death
Student, 6, dies after large video display fell at school: Officials
A six-year-old student died Wednesday after a large video display board fell on the child at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay, according to Brevard Public Schools.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Brevard County Public Schools said it was inspecting all of its Promethean interactive displays in all of its school classrooms after one fell and killed a 5-year-old boy at Rivieria Elementary.
Police ID 5-year-old boy killed after 120-pound video board fell on him at school
The backstory:
The Palm Bay Police Department identified the 5-year-old boy on Thursday as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris. He was a student at Rivieria Elementary.
Officials said a 120-pound Promethean display fell on top of the student on Wednesday morning, Oct. 7, and critically hurt him, calling it "a tragic accident." The boy was taken to the hospital, where he died.
District: Promethean displays being inspected in all classrooms
What they're saying:
Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell said in a letter on Thursday that all of its Promethean video boards would be immediately inspected across all of its schools, following Wednesday's tragedy.
He said all the district's Promethean boards are installed by a licensed third-party contractor.
"We understand that this tragedy may raise questions and concerns among families and staff about similar equipment in our schools. Promethean boards across the District are installed by a licensed third-party vendor in accordance with manufacturer guidelines," he said.
"Effective immediately, the District is conducting inspections of Promethean boards across all of our campuses while we await the findings of the investigation."
The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement, take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of our school communities, and provide additional information when it becomes available and appropriate to share."
The Source: This story uses information from a letter sent Thursday by Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell, following the boy's death. Additional information from the Palm Bay Police Department.