Boy, 14, Allegedly Attacked by Fellow Student Over Joke Has Parts of Skull Removed, 60 Staples in Head

The alleged assault happened on August 21 at 14-year-old Lukas Hardeman's middle school in the cafeteria. According to a GoFundMe established by his parents, Lukas was sitting when he cracked a joke and in response another student allegedly "picked him up and body slammed him."

According to the fundraiser, Hardeman's head "struck a stool attached to the cafeteria table and the ground," which resulted in "multiple brain bleeds and severe swelling." Afterward, he was rushed to Children's Hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

It was during this procedure that the parents say doctors were forced to remove two portions of the boy's skull "to relieve the pressure and bleeding." At the time of writing, he was still in the ICU.

Parents attended a special meeting of the Kilgore Independent School District on August 25 to express their concerns about safety on school properties, with ABC affiliate KLTV noting that ambulances had been called twice to the middle school and once to the high school in just the first week of school.

Parents expressed concern in that meeting, as covered by CBS affiliate KYTX, at what they saw as a lack of transparency from the district during these events. One noted, per the outlet, not receiving any texts or phone calls about any incidents over the past week. Lukas' family said they'd not heard from the district since their initial visit to the ER.

KLTV spoke with other parents outside that meeting, as well, with one telling them, "For the first time, I feel nervous to send my child to middle school."

The news station spoke with Hardeman's parents after that special meeting, where the couple said that they've been "blessed" with a lot of support and donations from their community.

Michael Hardeman, the boy's father, explained how the injury occurred, saying that when the other student allegedly slammed Lukas toward the ground, his head hit a metal pole attached to a stool. He said that after having to remove two portions from his skull, his son now has 60 stitches holding his head together.

"He’s embarrassed. He is hurt. He is struggling," Michael told the outlet. "But I hope when he sees things like this that he has a lot of family behind him. I hope that he can get to a point to where he is confident."

Lukas' grandmother Tonya Hill shared with KYTX how Lukas has been struggling during his recovery. "To see him just cry from pain, to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and because he hadn't seen himself yet, it's very heart-wrenching," she said.

She told the news station that Kilgore Police have filed charges against the student who assaulted her grandson, though the department has not commented on what charges the student is facing.

Michael told KYTX, "We've got to protect our kids, they are our future. That's all we can do, just to be setting an example, make a change and do better." The family says Lukas has a "long road to recovery" ahead of him, including physical and speech therapy, as well as dealing with the emotional trauma of the alleged attack itself.

Kilgore ISD Board President Jason Smith briefly addressed the incident at the meeting, per KYTX, telling parents, "Please know that we are listening, we are working, this is not going to go away, we will hear more on this, I promise you that."

On the Friday before the meeting, Smith sent an email to parents. You can see that full statement, which was also shared to the district's Facebook page, below:

"As President of your school board, I want to reassure you that the safety, well-being, and trust of students, staff, and community remain the District’s top priorities. I know that when an incident happens in our schools, families want timely and clear information.

"At the same time, there are limits to what the District can share. Federal privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), require the District to protect the personal educational and health information of students and staff. This means that while the District cannot release certain details, it can — and will — communicate openly about what steps are being taken to keep our campuses supportive and safe to the extent that can be done without compromising campus security.

"Going forward, you can expect the District to:

• "Provide updates as quickly and clearly as possible.
• "Share what actions the District is taking to protect students and staff.
• "Be transparent about what the District can disclose, while honoring the privacy of those involved.

"I am confident that I speak on behalf of the whole Board when I say that we appreciate your trust and understanding as the District balances transparency with the responsibility to protect individual privacy. Together, we will continue working to make Kilgore ISD a safe and thriving place for every student to learn and grow."