Families of Idaho murder Victims File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Washington State U.
“The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of federal education laws, including Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages.”
It’s impossible to even imagine what these people have been through.
FOX News reports:
Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University
The families of the four University of Idaho students killed in a brutal 2022 stabbing attack have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU), alleging the school ignored repeated warning signs about Bryan Kohberger.
The civil complaint, filed Jan. 7 in Skagit County Superior Court, was brought by Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves; Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Mogen; Jeffrey Kernodle, father of Xana Kernodle; and Stacy Chapin, mother of Ethan Chapin.
The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of federal education laws, including Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages.
Attorney Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, said that the decision to leave damages “unspecified” is a strategic norm in high-stakes litigation because it prevents the focus from shifting towards sensationalism and keeps the decision firmly in the hands of the jury.
“Ultimately, that’s to be determined and answered by the jury,” said Clifford, who is not involved in the lawsuit. “But you have some compelling facts and the liability is going to depend on the strength of what the school knew.”
Despite Kohberger’s guilty plea in the murders, Clifford explained the civil case remains strong because the families face a lower burden of proof – requiring only a preponderance of evidence to establish the university’s liability.
“The mere fact that he pled guilty might not even be admissible in the civil proceeding because he’s not the defendant, right? If he is a defendant in the civil proceeding, then his plea of guilty will be important. And indeed, this school might try to use that to say, ‘See, it wasn’t our fault. He admits that it was his fault.’ But the bar is different for someone in a criminal proceeding than it is in a civil proceeding.”
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Comments
“alleging the school ignored repeated warning signs about Bryan Kohberger.”
Meanwhile, firearms dealers are routinely subject to the same second-guessing with respect to customers they have never even MET before.
That’s nice and all, but NOWHERE is there listed what exactly the school was supposed to do. The lower threshold of proof seems to be the main issue – which tells me this more “Somebody gotta pay!” and less about any actual justice.
Also, why is only one parent of each victim suing?
https://www.foxnews.com/us/idaho-murder-documents-reveal-victims-stalking-fears-kohbergers-inappropriate-behavior-school
This article reviews some really sketchy behavior. IANAL so don’t know how this will intersect with the lawsuit but it is certainly concerning.
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