A student at Seton Hall University passed away while being isolated after testing positive for COVID-19. Her parents blame the university, claiming they knew she had epilepsy and being alone could be risky.
Kristen McCartney, from South Carolina, died on September 20, 2021. Her parents, Sean McCartney and Donna Dockery, filed a lawsuit against the university on May 14.
The lawsuit also names others associated with the university, like Cardinal Joseph Tobin and former President Joseph Nyre. Seton Hall moved the case to a different court.
The university expressed sadness over Kristen’s death but denied responsibility. The lawsuit claims Seton Hall knew Kristen had epilepsy since 2011 and often had seizures.
When Kristen tested positive for COVID-19, she had to stay in a separate dorm for 10 days. Her parents say the university didn’t plan for her safety, especially regarding her epilepsy.
Kristen’s roommates could have helped if she had a seizure, but she ended up alone and died. The lawsuit says she may have had a seizure and suffocated in her blankets.
The lawsuit criticizes Seton Hall’s COVID-19 plan for not being clear and not providing proper health care. It also says the university didn’t check on isolated students like Kristen daily, which could have helped her.
Kristen’s parents felt the university was unhelpful and disrespectful after her death. They weren’t told about the medical emergency until hours later and had trouble getting information from the university.
They also say Seton Hall kept asking for donations despite their daughter’s death. They had to wait eight months to get Kristen’s autopsy report, leaving them with many unanswered questions.
The family’s lawyer wrote to Seton Hall, complaining about the lack of information and asking for evidence to be kept for any future legal action.