Ciara Bryant has filed a lawsuit against Opelousas High School, the St. Landry Parish School Board, Officer Ka’Leah Dorsey, and the City of Opelousas, Louisiana, alleging excessive force and civil rights violations after her son J.B. was injured by a police officer's taser on school grounds. The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on April 25, 2025.
The incident at the heart of this case occurred on January 27, 2025, during a lunch period at Opelousas High School when a fight broke out involving several students. Although J.B., a student at the school, was not participating in the altercation, he was present in the hallway where it took place. According to the complaint, Officer Ka’Leah Dorsey responded to the scene and discharged her taser without warning or provocation into J.B.'s face, resulting in serious injury when one of the taser barbs penetrated his right eye. Despite his injuries, J.B. did not receive immediate medical attention from school staff and had to be taken to a hospital by his mother.
Bryant accuses Officer Dorsey and other defendants of violating J.B.'s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 by using excessive force and failing to provide adequate training for officers stationed at schools. The lawsuit claims that there is an unconstitutional policy or custom allowing such force against students and that this reflects deliberate indifference by both the police department and school authorities.
Furthermore, Bryant alleges that following the incident, school officials attempted to expel J.B., falsely accusing him of involvement in the fight as part of an effort to cover up misconduct by Officer Dorsey and protect themselves from liability. This alleged retaliation is claimed to be part of a broader conspiracy involving multiple defendants aimed at suppressing J.B.'s rights.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for physical injuries and emotional distress suffered by J.B., punitive damages against all defendants for their alleged willful misconduct, reimbursement for medical expenses incurred due to J.B.'s injuries, statutory damages as allowed under applicable laws, as well as attorney's fees and costs associated with bringing this action.
Representing Ciara Bryant is attorney James Word II from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The case is presided over by judges assigned within the jurisdiction of Case ID: 4:25-cv-00549.