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Burlington student sues after losing part of index finger

A Burlington Central High School student has sued District 301 for negligence, claiming he was injured using a saw in a woodworking class and had to have part of his right index finger amputated.

Lori Wyman filed the lawsuit in Kane County on behalf of her 16-year-old son, who, according to the lawsuit, was injured Jan. 27, 2016, at the high school, 44W625 Plato Road.

The lawsuit argues teacher David Burner was negligent and exhibited willful and wanton failure to supervise the woodworking shop and a "Woodpecker" router table.

Burner failed to give a safety device called a "push stick" to Wyman's son and other students in the class, even though Burner knew the router was "inherently dangerous" and was unsafe for students to operate without a push stick or similar device, the lawsuit states.

On the day in question, Wyman's son was using the router without a push stick "when the piece of wood suddenly shot forward" causing his right hand to get cut, the lawsuit states.

Michael Gunzburg, attorney for Wyman, said the teen's fight index finger was amputated at the first joint.

"This was a very basic piece of safety equipment that should have been furnished to anyone using the router in shop class," Gunzburg said. "It's an essential piece of safety equipment."

Superintendent Todd Stirn was unavailable for comment; Assistant Superintendent Esther Mongan said the district had not yet been served with the lawsuit so she could not comment.

Both sides are due in court June 30.

Lori Wyman seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.

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