A Colorado Springs couple is suing their school district, a local elementary school and others in connection with a science experiment that they say left their daughter with severe burns requiring skin grafts and resulting scarring.

The 7-year-old was participating in a program sponsored by Science Matters in Colorado in Feb. 2017 when she was burned by what the suit describes as “scalding hot liquid from a glass container that was dangerously placed on a counter on an unsupervised hot plate and knocked off.” Science Matters in Colorado is also a defendant in the suit.

The suit alleges that the accident resulted from a lack of supervision and training by Science Matters in Colorado. The organization, which is part of Science Matters in America, provides, among other things, after-school programs in what is known as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. The family’s attorney says that “we feel Science Matters in Colorado holds the most responsibility for the negligent actions that caused the severe injury to this child.”

The specific amount of compensation being sought by the parents has not been disclosed. However, they’re asking for compensation for all medical expenses, including future costs, related to their daughter’s burns as well as other damages.

We all know that science activities can be dangerous. However, hands-on experiments play important roles in children’s educations. We count on school personnel and other adults charged with protecting our children to do everything possible to ensure their safety. When they fail to do that, it’s wise to examine your legal options to seek justice and compensation.