Baltimore City government, the school board and a principal are at the center of a $1.5 million lawsuit filed recently on behalf of a 13-year-old student whose leg was badly crushed after 22 school lockers toppled onto him.

The incident occurred Feb. 20 at Chinquapin Middle School in East Baltimore.

Willis B. Turnipseed Jr. suffered severe fractures after the lockers, filled with books, tipped over as he walked along a corridor.

The eighth-grader was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital and eventually transferred to a rehabilitation center for therapy.

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The lawsuit was filed May 25 by Willis’ mother, Elaine Smith, who claims her son was injured because of negligence on the part of school officials. Her complaint further accuses them of “deliberate indifference” and “reckless disregard” regarding the safety of Chinquapin students.

As he walked in the corridor, Willis reportedly saw from the corner of his eye that the lockers were beginning to crash. He tried to escape but was hampered by a wall in his path.

The family’s attorney, Mitchell Treger, said the lockers had been a problem before and that efforts to secure them to the wall should have been made.

“Another incident occurred about a month before where a similar group of lockers fell over in the same hallway,” Treger said. “It’s our position that the school and school officials were negligent because they had knowledge that [the lockers] weren’t secure. They knew they posed a danger to the students.”

He said Willis, who missed two months of classes, has since returned to school.

Schools spokeswoman Vanessa Pyatt said Monday that there would be no comment because of pending litigation.

drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com