When Jeremiah DuPrau signed up for a sword fighting class, he probably didn’t expect to lose vision in one eye and part of the other. But that’s exactly what happened.

In his third sword fighting class at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge, instructor Jason Brown called DuPrau over to demonstrate a particular move, and according to local news reports, “jutted the sword into [his] eye,” without warning DuPrau to don his protective face mask first.

After losing the vision in his right eye and part of his left, DuPrau filed suit against Brown and the his parent organization, Swordguild Portland. His attorney John Coletti says the resultant injuries, which also included a stroke and partial paralysis, impacted DuPrau’s life in a dramatic way.

“He’s unable to drive, unable to ride his bike, unable to hike,” Coletti said of DuPrau. “He actually had to give his dog away because he was unable to take care of it.”

DuPrau’s lawsuit, which also names the venue Milwaukie Elks Lodge as a defendant, seeks $9 million in damages.

Potential Preaching Angles: If the Word of God is a sword, we must be careful how we handle it, lest we injure others from our carelessness. Leaders are especially accountable for the ways in which we handle God’s Word. If we use the Word only to attack others, we undercut our legitimacy as leaders.

Source:

Aimee Green, “Lawsuit: Sword-fighting student sues instructor for stabbing him in eye and brain,” The Oregonian (9-06-18)