The Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County and the Iowa City School District have submitted their answer to a lawsuit filed by an Iowa City woman, according to court documents.

Bambi Cox sued the agencies, alleging employees pushed her son into a pole while he was on a tire swing. She asserted that employees of the School District should have known the swing posed a danger to students and Neighborhood Center workers should have recognized the danger of pushing her son too high.

According to the lawsuit, Jason Allen was being pushed on a tire swing at Twain Elementary on May 1, 2009, when he suffered “severe injuries and damages” after striking his head on the pole.

The agencies have denied all parts of the original petition except those containing basic information on Cox and the two agencies. The groups deny the allegations that Allen was lawfully on the center’s premises at the time of the incident, that he sustained a head injury and a concussion, and that the center’s negligence caused the incident.

— by Sam Lane