Investigators said that a girl who died in a South Carolina classroom in March passed away due to natural causes and not from bullying or a fight.
Prior reports stated that Raniya died during a classroom fight.
A pathologist found that no evidence that a fight or trauma was the cause her death, said Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, according to the report on April 19.
The fight between Raniya and another student was a “slap fight” that only between 5 and 10 seconds, Colleton County Sheriff Andy Strickland said.
“This does not appear to be a case of bullying,” Strickland added, saying there was no evidence of previous problems.
He said there was a teacher in the classroom a the time of the incident. After the fight, Raniya was taken to another room.
“There were no bruises no cuts, no scrapes, no busted lips, no black eyes,” Stone elaborated.
Officials said no charges will be filed in her case. The other student involved in the fight was not named.
“I’ve heard a lot of people saying, oh they were kicking her. They ganged her. None of that. That is so far from the truth,” Bright Matthews said.
“They seemed to be OK when they left the classroom,” Bright Matthews added. The Walterboro Democrat said she has talked with the families of both girls, the substitute teacher, and school and law enforcement officials.
Findings Disputed
According to the Post and Courier, Raniya’s mother disputed some of the findings“My daughter was healthy,” Ashley Wright told the newspaper on April 19. “She was scared to get teased ... it was the same girl for two years.”
Wright said it was the first time she heard of the girl’s medical condition, and her attorney, Margie Pizarro, said she was bullied several times by the same girl.
She said Raniya was an active girl who played basketball and showed no prior signs of a medical condition.
Her family will now consult with other medical officials to see if the fight contributed to her death, said Pizzaro.
What’s more, Pizarro told USA Today that Wright hired a private investigator who has allegedly interviewed students when the fight took place.
Other details about the case are not clear.