A 14-year-old cadet at Missouri Military Academy spent time in a pediatric intensive care unit battling septic shock after the school allegedly brushed off weeks of his pleas for medical help, according to a negligence lawsuit filed against the Mexico, Missouri institution. The suit also claims two older cadets assaulted the boy, identified in court filings only as S.B., in separate incidents the previous November.
The lawsuit was filed against Missouri Military Academy on Oct. 20 and the school was served on Oct. 29, according to The Mexico Ledger. It alleges two counts of negligence, claiming the academy failed to provide adequate security and failed to provide adequate emergency medical intervention. The petition requests a jury trial and $25,000 in damages for each count. The suit was filed by Onder Law, LLC, a firm based in St. Louis.
Missouri Military Academy describes itself as a college preparatory military boarding school for boys in grades 7-12. According to the lawsuit, S.B. began attending the academy in 2024 and was subjected to physical and mental abuse and hazing throughout the 2024-25 school year.
Two Alleged Assaults in the Barracks and Locker Room
The lawsuit alleges that in November 2024, two unnamed older cadets attacked S.B. in two separate incidents. In one, the suit claims the cadets attacked him with tube socks filled with padlocks in the barracks. In the other, the petition alleges the pair cornered S.B. alone in a locker room while he was changing, then cornered him, pushed him against the lockers and punched him repeatedly.
The lawsuit further alleges that Missouri Military Academy knew or should have known of the older cadets' violent propensities, and claims the school fostered bullying, depravity and predatory behavior among students.
Weeks of Worsening Symptoms Before Hospitalization
According to the petition, S.B. began exhibiting severe illness symptoms on Jan. 15, 2025, and repeatedly notified academy staff of his condition, requesting medical evaluation and treatment. Three days later, on Jan. 18, R.B. took S.B. to the emergency room, where he was discharged the same day.
The boy's condition did not improve. By Feb. 4, 2025, the lawsuit alleges S.B. had developed worsening symptoms including sweating, confusion, fatigue, nausea and dizziness. The next day, according to the suit, academy employees characterized his symptoms as a panic attack, even as he had unknowingly developed pneumonia. Emergency medical services were not called until Feb. 11, 2025, when S.B. showed persistent symptoms along with cyanotic lips and fingers and increased shortness of breath, according to the filing.
Court documents cited by the Ledger state that S.B. was ultimately diagnosed with pneumonia and septic shock and required intensive care in the pediatric ICU. The lawsuit claims he required prolonged intensive care hospitalization for septic shock and now has permanent physiological and psychological injuries.
Academy Denies the Allegations
Academy President Richard V. Geraci denied the lawsuit's claims, saying the school acts promptly when concerns about cadet conduct or health are raised and follows established procedures and applicable laws, involving parents and working with outside agencies when appropriate. “We unequivocally deny the allegations in this lawsuit, which are false and without merit. We will vigorously defend against these claims in court,” Geraci said, per the same account.
This is not the only legal complaint the academy has faced. KOMU has reported on a separate lawsuit accusing the academy of enabling the alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old cadet by another student, a filing that lists 17 Mexico Public Safety Department investigations between 2020 and 2024 involving allegations of assault and sexual harassment by cadets — allegations contained in that suit rather than independently confirmed findings. AP News has also covered a former student's allegations of abuse at the academy.
