Ky. school employees rigged exploding toilet that seriously injured co-worker, lawsuit alleges

A Corbin Independent Schools maintenance man alleges in a lawsuit that co-workers rigged an explosive device in a school toilet that detonated and injured him when he sat down.

The lawsuit was filed in Whitley Circuit Court October 15 by Daniel Clay Rice against fellow school employees Duane Logan, Mark Logan, Finley Thomas and the school district, which Rice said was liable for damages, attorneys fees and court costs.

Unbeknownst to Rice, his supervisor Duane Logan, and co-workers Mark Logan and Thomas had manufactured an improvised explosive device fueled by several firecrackers. It was designed to detonate when he sat on the toilet in a school maintenance building, the lawsuit said.

Carbon dioxide gas and shrapnel struck Rice. “He was severely burned, cut and bruised...” the lawsuit said.

Rice “cried for help”, the lawsuit said, but the men ridiculed and humiliated him and refused to render aid.

He sought help at a local hospital and has been unable to return to work. The lawsuit said the school district threatened to discontinue his health insurance unless he returned by Oct. 18, despite knowing about his serious injuries.

The lawsuit said Rice was wrongfully discharged from his previous position. It asked that Rice be reinstated.

An attorney for the school district and the superintendent did not did immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 4:23 PM.