A jury found Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of shooter in the Oxford (MI) High School school shooting case, guilty on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the loss of lives in the attack. See https://apnews.com/article/oxford-high-school-mother-charged-01f336607a496c5f9ff0cb3a7434d073 A landmark case This is a landmark case in being the first we can recall where a parent has been […]
Category Archive: School Law and Liability
School security expert witness says school safety civil lawsuits point to allegations of failures of human factors, not failures of security equipment and technology
Being retained as a school security expert witness in Pre-K12 school civil litigation cases ranging from the nation’s highest profile school active shooter cases and wrongful death cases (Sandy Hook, Parkland, San Bernardino, and others) to rapes and other sexual assaults, violent physical assaults, gang violence, crimes on school buses, and other lawsuits provides unique […]
Parkland one year later: School security and emergency preparedness after the MSD school shooting
During the past half-dozen or so years, I have done an increasing about of expert witness and litigation consulting on pK-12 school security-related lawsuits. These types of cases have included high-profile active shooter cases, such as my retention by the defense for the Sandy Hook Elementary School litigation, as well as rape and other sexual […]
Advocates, activists, experts, and opportunists: Do you know the differences among those giving school safety advice?
“I don’t know what to believe and who to listen to,” one principal told us several months ago. As school safety issues remain in the forefront of school-community conversations following recent school shootings, the number of voices, viewpoints, and vendors continue to grow. School safety has been politically-hijacked by both gun control and gun rights […]
School wrongful death, assault with injuries lawsuits: School security expert witness says cases are going from the schoolhouse to the courthouse
Today’s headlines on this week’s school shooting from The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, reads: “Signs and warnings failed to prevent Freeman school shooting.” Given observations over recent years, it would not be surprising if a future headline reads: “Lawsuit filed on school shooting claims warning signs were missed.” A wrongful death suit against former Chardon, […]
School sexual assault litigation: Security expert witness consultant says school rape, sex assaults are turning into lawsuits
As a school security expert witness and litigation consultant on school safety lawsuits, there are some weeks where I receive more inquiries for services from attorneys than I do from superintendents and other school leaders. Suffice to say that a number of parents today are taking their allegations and grievances about school safety from the […]
Spring Valley High School police – student altercation analysis: A failure of administration and School Resource Officer (SRO) best practices
The viral video of a South Carolina School Resource Officer (SRO) dragging a female student out of a classroom chair raises as many questions about a failure of school administration as it raises questions about school officer tactics and best practices in school-based policing. Three wrongs a disaster makes “This situation was a no-win as […]
Body cameras in schools: Are School Resource Officers (SROs) and principals missing the big picture?
How quickly will students rush to the assistant principal or School Resource Officer (SRO) to report a student carrying a gun, a school shooting plot, or abuse taking place at their home if these adults have a camera rolling on their personal conversation? Many students will view body cameras as an instant barrier that only reinforces their […]
Ohio school safety policy should be barricaded from politics
A highly emotional controversy is spreading across Ohio over classroom door barricades. Advocates are touting these devices as a way to lock out potential school shooters. They are ignoring the very real dangers created if these barricades are used improperly or fall into the wrong hands. Imagine that your daughter is forced into an empty […]