Nationwide — Nataya Carter, a 14-year-old African American girl from Livingston, Texas, remains hospitalized after she was injured in a fight at Livingston High School. Her family said she began having seizures after the confrontation and has continued to experience them while receiving treatment. They are now questioning whether school staff stepped in quickly enough to stop the fight and prevent the injuries from becoming more severe.
The sophomore was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital following the Wednesday fight in the school cafeteria. Her aunt, Amber Gardner, said Thursday that Carter was still hospitalized and doctors had not yet determined exactly what was causing the seizures. The family has remained at the hospital while waiting for more information about her condition.
Videos obtained by KHOU show two girls fighting before other students become involved. In one video, a faculty member does not step between the students until more than 10 seconds after the recording begins. Carter can be seen with her head against a wall by that point, appearing motionless. The family said the video raised questions about whether the fight could have been stopped sooner.
Darral Banks, a friend who witnessed the confrontation, said he tried to pull another girl away from Carter. He said she later fell to the floor and began having a seizure after the video ended. “She was on the floor, seizing,” Banks said. Carter’s aunt, Sandria Carter, said a teacher appeared to be close to the fight but did not intervene immediately. “The teacher was literally right there during the fight, and he was watching it happen,” she said.
Livingston ISD said it is addressing the confrontation through its disciplinary process as well as legal channels. The district said students involved would be held accountable under school policy and applicable law. School officials also confirmed that a staff member was injured during the incident, although the videos do not show how or when that injury occurred.
Carter remained hospitalized Thursday night as her family waited for doctors to provide more information. Her relatives said they recognize that fights can happen at school, but they are focused on what happened during the confrontation and the injuries that followed. Sandria Carter questioned whether the outcome could have been different if the fight had been stopped sooner. “This could’ve been prevented,” she said. “So why wasn’t it?”