School Liability in School Shooting Cases

David Alexander, M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-17482-8_14

M. David Alexander²

335 Accesses
1 Citations

Abstract

This article reviewed litigation that was spawned by school shootings. The litigation commenced after the Columbine shooting where 15 cases were decided. The Columbine cases and subsequent shooting litigation, both in state and federal courts, determined that the defendants prevailed; therefore, no liability existed. These decisions were the result of the high legal liability standards established by the federal courts under the Fourteenth Amendment and in state courts on the issue of governmental immunity where school boards, school offices, and law enforcement officers were held not liable since they could not have foreseen the horrific acts of private individuals who committed the acts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 84.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Softcover Book: USD 109.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Hardcover Book: USD 109.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

1.
Shoels ex rel. Shoels v. Stone, 2001 WL 1808549 (D. Colo. 2001); Rohrbough v. Stone, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (D. Colo. 2001).
2.
Reuggegger v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, 197 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (D. Colo. 2001).
3.
Reuggegger v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, 197 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (D. Colo. 2001); Castaldo v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002).
4.
Sanders v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Jefferson, Colorado, 192 F. Supp. 2d 1094 (D. Colo. 2001); Sanders v. Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. 188 F. Supp. 2d 1264 (D. Colo. 2002).
5.
Schnurr v. Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1105 (D. Colo. 2001).
6.
Rohrbough v. Stone, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (D. Colo. 2001); Ruggegger v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, 197 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (D. Colo. 2001); Schnurr v. Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1105 (D. Colo. 2001); Castaldo v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002); Shoels v. Stone, 2002 WL 423456 (D. Colo. 2002); Ireland v. Jefferson Sheriff’s Department, 193 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (D. Colo. 2002).
7.
Rohrbough v. Stone, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (D. Colo. 2001); Ruggegger v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, 197 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (D. Colo. 2001); Schnurr v. Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1105 (D. Colo. 2001); Castaldo v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002); Shoels v. Stone, 2002 WL 423456 (D. Colo. 2002); Ireland v. Jefferson Sheriff’s Department, 193 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (D. Colo. 2002).
8.
Rohrbough v. Stone, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (D. Colo. 2001); Ruggegger v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, 197 F. Supp. 2d 1247 (D. Colo. 2001); Schnurr v. Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1105 (D. Colo. 2001); Castaldo v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002); Shoels v. Stone, 2002 WL 423456 (D. Colo. 2002).
9.
Rohrbough v. Stone, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (D. Colo. 2001).
10.
Shoels v. Kiebold, 375 F.3d 1054 (10th Cir. [Colo.] 2004).
11.
Shoels v. ex rel. Shoels v. Stone, 2001 WL 1808549 (D. Colo. 2001); Castalda v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002); Ireland v. Jefferson Sheriff’s Department, 193 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (D. Colo. 2002).
12.
Shoels v. ex rel. Shoels v. Stone, 2001 WL 1808549 (D. Colo. 2001); Castalda v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002); Ireland v. Jefferson Sheriff’s Department, 193 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (D. Colo. 2002).
13.
Castalda v. Stone, 191 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Colo. 2002).
14.
Rohrbough v. Harris, 549 F. 3d 1313 (10th Cir. (Colo.) 2008).
15.
Sanders v. Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. 184 F. Supp. 2d 1264 (D. Colo. 2002).
16.
Ireland v. Jefferson Sheriff’s Department, 193 F. Supp. 2d 1201 (D. Colo. 2002).
17.
DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, 109 S. Ct. 998 (1989).
18.
DeShaney, at page 1000.
19.
DeShaney at page 1003.
20.
DeShaney at page 1006–1007.
21.
DeShaney at page 1007.
22.
Ibid.
23.
See Footnote 18.
24.
Morrow v. Balaski, 719 F. 3d 160 (3rd Cir. (PA) 2013).
25.
Morrow at page 177.
26.
Ibid.
27.
McQueen v. Beecher Community Schools, 433 F. 3d 460 (6th Cir. (Mich.) 2006).
28.
McQueen at page 467–468.
29.
McQueen at page 465–466.
30.
Doe ex rel. Magee v. Covington County School District, 75 F. 3d 849 (5th Cir. (Miss.) 2012).
31.
Doe at page 870.
32.
James v. Wilson, 95 S.W. 3d 875 (Ct. App. Ky. 2002), page 889.
33.
Wilson, at page 889.
34.
Wilson, at page 890.
35.
“Shootings on Campus: Successful §1983 Suits Against the School” 62 Drake Law Review 41, Susan S. Bendlin; Lentz v. Morris, 327 S. E. 2d 608 (S. Ct. VA 1988).
36.
62 Drake Law Review 41, at page 87.
37.
Florida State Ann § 8.02–195.3.
38.
Virginia Code Ann. § 8.01–195.3.
39.
Commonwealth v. Peterson, 749 S.E.2d 307 (S. Ct. Va. 2013). All of the families impacted by the Virginia Tech shooting, except the two parties who litigated the Commonwealth v. Peterson case, reached a settlement agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia, which provided $11 million for distribution to the parties. The representatives of the faculty and students killed received $100,000, as per the Code of Virginia statutory cap. The injured individuals received healthcare expense under the settlement. Source: Roanoke Times, April 9, 2008, Greg Esposito.
40.
Commonwealth v. Peterson, at page 313.
41.
James v. Wilson 95 S.W.3d 875 (Ct. App. Ky. 2002).
42.
James v. Wilson at page 886.
43.
James v. Wilson at page 888.
44.
James v. Wilson at page 885.
45.
James v. Wilson at page 889–890.
46.
James v. Wilson at page 910.
47.
Stoddard v. Pocatello School District # 25, 239 P.3d 784 (S. Ct. Idaho).
48.
Rudd v. Pulaski County Special School District, 20 S.W.3d 310 (S.Ct. Ark. 2000).
49.
Rudd v. Pulaski County Special School District at page 802.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
M. David Alexander

Authors

M. David Alexander
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. David Alexander .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA
Rosemary Papa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

David Alexander, M. (2019). School Liability in School Shooting Cases. In: Papa, R. (eds) School Violence in International Contexts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17482-8_14

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17482-8_14
Published: 30 May 2019
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-17481-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-17482-8
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics