A high school student died after eating candy that employees incorrectly said was nut-free, a new lawsuit claims.
Kailyn Brown, 17, suffered a cardiac arrest and fell into a coma after eating pastries at a school event.
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The teenager, who has a nut allergy, asked staff at her school in Jacksonville, Florida, whether the baklava served contained any nuts.
Baklava is a traditional dessert from Türkiye and most of the Middle East and Southeastern Europe, usually made with filo pastry, syrup, and chopped nuts.
Staff at Atlantic Coast High School in Duval County told Brown that didn't happen.
But it turns out that the pastries contain pistachios.
Brown soon began showing signs of allergies, according to the lawsuit filed by her father.
“She suffered anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest,” the lawsuit states.
“She fell into a coma and her death was announced on April 30, 2023.”
Steven Brown, the teen's father, says the school was aware of the teen's allergy to nuts.
The lawsuit also accuses school officials of not acting quickly enough after Brown “began exhibiting symptoms related to her food allergies.”
The school nurse did not see her, and officials did not contact emergency responders, according to the lawsuit.
Brown went to a local pharmacy to buy some Benadryl, but her symptoms quickly worsened.
Her father sued Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) for $50,000 for negligence.
The lawsuit claims the teen died “as a direct and proximate result” of DCPS' negligence.
It also demands a jury trial against DCPS.
“Defendant DCPS owed a duty of care to its students, including Kayleen Brown, to ensure that food labeled as allergen-free and/or required to be prepared allergen-free was in fact free of allergens that could cause death or It causes serious harm to students,” the complaint continues to say.
Brown's obituary says she was planning to start her first job after graduation before attending Florida State College in Jacksonville and then the University of Central Florida.
She was looking forward to spending the summer with her friends.
Full statement of the school district
After the lawsuit was announced, the Duval County School Board issued the following statement:
“We are very sorry to hear about the tragic death of this young man, and extend our condolences to his family.
“Because this matter appears to involve pending litigation, any response by the district will come in the context of the court proceedings.”
Stephen Brown says he hopes the loss of his daughter will help save others from a similar fate.
“My immediate question was: ‘Why did you leave school?’” he said in an interview with News4JAX.
“Or why was she allowed to leave school if the teacher knew she was having an allergic reaction?”
“The first thing I'll ask is: Why wasn't 911 called?”
