LOS ANGELES – A student who along with a teacher was wounded in 2018 after being hit by gunfire across the street from CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts in Van Nuys is suing the school for negligence.
Harper Maloney, 18, brought the suit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking unspecified damages. He had gone to lunch off campus, which was allowed by the school administration, before the shooting occurred, the suit states.
“While (Maloney) was returning to campus, he was struck by a bullet fired by a third person and severely injured,” the suit states.
“As a result of the shooting and the failure to protect and serve their students, (Maloney) required emergency care to his physical injuries and suffers emotional distress,” the suit states.
A CHAMPS representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The shooting of Maloney and the teacher was reported about 12:10 p.m, Sept. 20, 2018, near a Jack in the Box in the 6800 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, police said previously.
The school staff “had reason to know of criminal activity and dangerous conditions near/around the premises and they had an obligation to take reasonable security precautions for the protect students at or near the CHAMPS campus, the suit states.
Maloney, then a junior, was released to a parent later in the day, according to the LAFD.
2 Comments
Interestingly there is no mention of suing the shooter(s) or the shooters families!
Leaving campus was a choice to exercise freedom not just in menu selection but to be away from campus security.
Once off campus this person was in public space, in a crosswalk going to Jack in the Box which is open to the public!
Each of us leave our homes everyday where each of us function knowing actions of others are not always predictable.
Does Maloney believe he should have had personal security provided by school police who were charged with campus security?
Interestingly there is no mention of suing the shooter or the shooter’s family.
How is any school supposed to be able to secure property not in their control? How was the school supposed to be held aware of where the student who left campus was going to eat ?
Balancing freedoms is a challenge ! Many of us believe Schools should not resembles the prison system without the freedom to leave for lunch, that decision should have responsibility of knowing that the comminstitutions.
This will be an interesting case to follow,