Oxford school staff immune to shooting lawsuit

Oakland County, Michigan — Michigan judge oxford high school The shooting that killed four students and injured seven cannot be sued.

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan also dismissed Oxford Community School from a civil suit related to the shooting, saying the school district and staff are protected by government immunity.

Authorities have accused 16-year-old Ethan Crumblely of using a semi-automatic pistol. fire About other teens in the hallway of a school about 30 miles north of Detroit on November 30, 2021. Her four students who were murdered were 16-year-old Tatemire, 14-year-old Hannah St. Julianna, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and 17-year-old Justin Schilling.

Cranbury, who was 15 at the time of filming, plead guilty He was charged with terrorism and first-degree murder in October. Prosecutors said he would seek life imprisonment with no opportunity for parole.

School officials were told by the county sheriff and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald about three hours before the shooting that the school’s resource officer did not warn them about their concerns about Cranbury, and then inspected the teen’s backpack. He was criticized for not allowing him to return to class.

The day before the shooting, a teacher saw Cranbury looking at ammunition on the phone during class. On the morning of the shooting, Cranbury’s parents were called to school and shown a handgun and a drawing of him containing the words: help. “

Authorities said his parents, James and Jennifer Cranbury, refused to take him home after a 13-minute meeting and were told to seek counseling.

An attorney representing the family of the victim who filed the lawsuit told several high school teachers and counselors: was aware of Cranbury’s troubling interest in guns and violence A few months before the shooting incident.

Brennan, however, held Cranbury responsible, writing in Friday’s order: injury or damage.

Detroit-based attorney Ben Johnson said he plans to appeal Brennan’s ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

“On behalf of my Oxford clients, I am deeply saddened and disappointed that Judge Brennan has today dismissed all of the Oxford Community School defendants,” Johnson said. ”

A group of Oxford parents and students, who have filed a federal lawsuit seeking a court-ordered safety plan against schools in the district, said: will be hidden behind the exemption of

“To the extent that government immunity fully protects schools like Oxford, it only denies transparency, justice and accountability for families,” Change4 Oxford said in a statement. Without change, our schools’ incentives to genuinely improve their safety policies will remain limited due to their ability to hide behind immunity when future tragedies strike.”

Brennan’s ruling did not apply to Ethan Cranbury and his parents, who are also named in the civil suit.

Prosecutor McDonald James and Jennifer Cranbury also charged He blamed himself for not keeping the gun used in the shooting safe at home and for not reasonably caring for his son when he showed signs of emotional distress.

Michigan’s Supreme Court has ordered the state’s Court of Appeals to hear the appeal. From a couple facing trials.

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