New Mexico teacher brought in swords to class and allowed students to DUEL with them resulting in 16-year-old girl suffering ‘deep laceration’ from katana

A teenage girl was left permanently disabled after her chemistry teacher decided to teach a lesson on ‘metal and fusion’ by bringing samurai swords to school and having the students fight with them.

Loviata Mitchell, 45, cleared the desks from the classroom at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before staging a series of two-minute periods.

Then she exclaimed, “I’m in trouble!” and ordered students to delete their videos when a katana severed the nerves and tendons in a girl’s hand seconds later.

A school investigation found Mitchell broke no rules, but now she and the school district are facing charges by the 16-year-old’s family after surgery failed to repair the damage.

“I talked to her surgeon and he could feel where the sword had left a mark in the bone,” said family attorney Jessica Hernandez.

“Those injuries cause her constant daily pain and prevent her from performing many basic daily tasks.”

Mitchell told students, “I have a surprise for you,” when she started the class in May 2022, the lawsuit alleges.

She pulled out a katana and a rapier, cleared a space in the center of the classroom, and set a two-minute timer on a monitor.

Footage of the first fight, filmed by the girl, shows two boys without face shields or protective equipment gingerly clinking their four-foot-long swords together as Mitchell leans on a sink with a smile on her face.

Both appeared to be unharmed, but seconds later it was the girl’s turn as she entered the makeshift arena to face off against a classmate identified in the documents as “DM.”

“DM struck NS on her right forearm, wrist and hand with the katana-like sword,” it said.

‘NS suffered a large and deep laceration in her right hand and wrist that does not fit a ‘prop’ sword.’

Mitchell allegedly told students not to report how the injury happened and tried to call the school’s health department but “couldn’t figure out how to do that.”

“When NS began to feel nauseous and weak from the blood loss, another student ran to the VVHS health office for medical attention,” court documents state.

It took 20 minutes before the girl was allowed to call her family, and another 10 minutes before a health aide at the school finally called 911 and she was taken to the emergency room by EMS.

“It’s shocking that this little girl is bleeding in a classroom and EMS is not called for 30 minutes,” Hernandez said.

“So those are also procedures that Albuquerque Public Schools need to address to make sure that doesn’t happen first.

“But if a student gets hurt, what are you going to do right away to make sure they get the care they need?”

Assistant director Manuel Algaza is also facing charges after his investigation cleared Mitchell of blame for the ‘accident’.

‘In response to the report’s question: ‘Does the injury violate school rules?’ Mr. Alzaga checked a box saying ‘No,'” the lawsuit alleges.

The girl had to undergo a series of surgeries, physiotherapy and mental health treatment and still struggles with tasks such as pressing buttons, closing zippers and cooking.

“Despite this surgical repair of the nerves and tendons of NS, it was not possible to completely repair them, and they remain damaged,” Hernandez said.

‘As a result, her wrist and hand are permanently injured. These injuries cause her constant daily pain and also prevent her from performing many basic daily tasks.

“When you get hurt like that as a 16-year-old and suddenly you can’t do the same things you used to do, it’s really disheartening. It’s depressing. It’s isolating.’

A spokesperson for the school district told NBC that Mitchell was fired two months later, but could not confirm if this was related to the incident.

The civil suit was filed last week in New Mexico’s 2nd Judicial District Court by the girl’s grandparents, Arnold and Judy Gachupin, who are her guardians.

A spokesperson for Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) said they were prohibited from commenting on active litigation.

“Not only did this teacher and APS fail to protect this child, but they actively endangered her, actively created this danger, and placed deadly weapons directly into the hands of this student,” Hernandez shared. KOAT.com.

“Exactly what could reasonably be expected is what happened.

“If I’m a parent and I take my child to school, I think they’ll be safe.

“I think the teachers are going to protect them, and the absolute opposite happened here.”