Katherine Rosen, the UCLA student who was stabbed by another student during chemistry lab last year, is suing the University of California Regents and her attacker for Los Angeles personal injury. She contends that UC Regents failed to appropriately respond to warnings that her attacker Damon Thompson was potentially violent. The university says it plans to defend itself against the injury case.
Rosen, who was stabbed and had her throat slashed, had to undergo surgery and was hospitalized for 10 days after. Her initial claim had sought $20 million in Los Angeles injury damages but the current complaint does not specify a monetary amount.
Rosen is contending that in the months leading up to her attack on Oct. 8, 2009, UCLA professors and officials had received reports about Thompson's behavior, which had been described as "strange, disturbing, erratic, angry, dangerous, threatening, and/or paranoid." The 21-year-old had even allegedly threatened teachers because of an "irrational belief" that other students were bullying and taunting him. Last month, Thompson, who admitted to stabbing Rosen, was found not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered to a psychiatric hospital.
Schools, colleges, and universities can be held liable for violent crimes that occur on the premises if negligence contributed to allowing the crimes to happen. For example, the families of the victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting that killed 32 faculty and students and left 27 others injured shared a $11 million settlement from the state. Two of the families that believe the school did not do enough to prevent the shooting are suing the school for $10 million. They contend that the gunman, student Cho Seung-Hui, was given inadequate counseling prior to the tragic incident.
There are security measures and other steps that a school can take to decrease the numbers of rapes, sexual assaults, physical assaults, robberies, and stabbings that occur on campus.
Campus stabbing victim sues UC regents, Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2010
UCLA Stabbing Victim Files Lawsuit Against UC Regents, Campus Safety, December 8, 2010
Virginia Gunman Identified as a Student, NY TImes, April 17, 2007
Related Web Resources:
The Regents of the University of California
Premises Liability, Justia
