SWANSEA, Mass. (WBZ/CNN NEWSOURCE/WKRC) - A staff member at Meadowridge Academy in Massachusetts died after allegedly being kicked in the chest by a 14-year-old student. Amy Morrell was attempting to restrain her from leaving the school's dormitory without permission. The Bristol County District Attorney's office reported that the 53-year-old Morrell collapsed, received CPR, and was rushed to the hospital, where she died on Thursday.
Mel Lynch, a former colleague, expressed disbelief and concern over the incident, questioning the placement of the student in such a setting. "How did this happen? You know if this girl was that violent. What was she doing in that setting with other kids?" Lynch said. He described Morrell's death as "a real loss, a loss for that school, a loss for us and I think of her parents."
Andrew Ferruche, a friend of Morrell and godson to her parents, remembered her fondly. "She's extremely funny. She made us all laugh. She's very kind. The life of the party, hilarious," Ferruche said. He shared a text from Morrell, where she wrote, "Being kind to other people definitely makes me feel better. My job is helping kids with troubles so it's pretty rewarding."
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported that Meadowridge staff restrained students 23 times in the 2023-24 school year, with no injuries resulting. However, a 2018 Disability Law Center investigation revealed over 140 police incidents at the school between 2014 and 2016, including numerous runaways and assaults.
A spokesperson for the school expressed deep sadness over Morrell's passing and stated that support services are available to assist students and staff as they grieve. The 14-year-old student involved in the incident has been charged with assault and battery causing serious injury but is not being identified due to her age. Ferruche lamented the irreversible consequences of the event, saying, "Amy's already gone. You can't fix that. This girl ruined her life. I don't know what her consequences are going to be, but she ruined her life. The whole thing could have been avoided."
BottomPieceOfBread on October 24th, 2025 at 17:14 UTC »
One of my close friends is a 7th grade math teacher. Last year a 13 year old boy cut her entire ponytail off, he was back in class the next day.
She quit and filed a lawsuit against the district because the same boy had threatened her multiple times with no repercussions.
h0neybl0ss0m29 on October 24th, 2025 at 16:55 UTC »
I work in education. Some of behaviors teachers and staff deal with daily is insane, and that's in regular settings. The school this happened at is a residential school for children with severe behaviors and mental health issues. These kids need help, staff turnover at these places is extremely high because it's just not worth risking your own safety for, even if you genuinely want to help these students.
Helenium_autumnale on October 24th, 2025 at 16:53 UTC »
The 14-year-old student was charged with assault and battery. I had thought manslaughter might be the charge, although I don't know if there are age restrictions for that charge in that state.