A 14-year-old middle school student was attacked by a classmate after cracking a joke and ended up with a 6-inch fracture requiring 60 staples and the removal of part of his skull. Lukas Hardeman reportedly told the joke during lunch August 21, 2025, at his school in Kilgore, Texas.
Another middle schooler allegedly “picked him up and body slammed him,” his parents said in a GoFundMe campaign description. Hardeman hit his head on a stool and the ground during the attack, resulting in “multiple brain bleeds and severe swelling.”
Hardeman required ICU care at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, KLTV reported, where he underwent the removal of part of his skull and needed dozens of staples to hold his head together. The eighth grader’s skull had a 6-inch fracture, according to KETK.
“He’s embarrassed. He is hurt. He is struggling,” the 14-year-old’s father, Michael Hardeman, told KLTV. “But I hope when he sees things like this that he has a lot of family behind him. I hope that he can get to a point to where he is confident.”
Thus far, the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $36,000 for Lukas Hardeman’s medical expenses.
The Kilgore Independent School District and KISD School Board of Trustees noted that they “fully understand and accept the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of every student entrusted into our care,” in an August 26 statement published via Facebook. “The event from last week has left us all shaken, it was both unexpected and deeply troubling, and our thoughts and prayers remain with our student who was injured.”
The post continued, “The safety and security of our students and staff members continues to be our highest priority. No student should feel uncertain, afraid, or anxious about attending school. This week we have begun a thorough review of our campus safety measures, our district communication practices, security protocols, and programs that the District and our campuses have in place to keep everyone safe.”
It’s unclear what disciplinary actions were taken against the student who attacked Lukas Hardeman.
