PHILIPPI — Another former student is suing the Barbour County Board of Education after a student brought a gun to school and threatened a classroom full of students.
Trinten Haddix filed the lawsuit against the school board, Traeton Long, Vanessa Long and Christopher Long, according to a complaint filed in Barbour Circuit Court.
Haddix claims during the 2015-16 school year, the defendants failed to recognize Traeton Long's behavioral patterns and failed to refer him to properly address his behaviors. After Traeton Long's girlfriend broke up with him and he became angry and began to make threatening comments on social media outlets toward the school community.
On Aug. 25, 2015, Traeton Long did not go to school on time and, instead, obtained possession of guns and ammunition that belonged to his parents, Christopher Long and Vanessa Long, and then arrived at school late, where he proceeded to hold 27 Phillip Barbour High School students and a teacher hostage in a classroom for 45 minutes before administration was notified of the situation.
A handful of other lawsuits have been filed related to the incident.
Haddix is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by LaVerne Sweeney.
Barbour Circuit Court case number: 21-C-14