Parents Of Parkland Victims Clash With School Board Over Insurance
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Family of victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting are angry after learning the school system's insurance carrier has put a price on the loss of life and injury: $300,000.
"We are devastated as a family," said Manuel Oliver as he and his wife Patricia stood with their attorneys in front of the school system's headquarters in Fort Lauderdale Friday. "I lost my son. I lost my best friend," Oliver said.
Their son, 17-year-old Joaquin, was among the seventeen people killed.
Now, before the first lawsuit has been filed, the Broward school system has fired a warning shot across the bow against potential suits. The district's insurance carrier has sent some victim's families a notice saying the bloodbath is "being handled as a multi-party claim under one occurrence." The notice goes on to say under state sovereign immunity laws and other regulations, damages are limited to "$300,000 per occurrence." That would be a total of $300,000 divided among the families of the 17 killed, many wounded and others dealing with mental angst.
Some victim's families are outraged the school system has shifted the conversation from security and prevention to money.
"Why would you change your behavior if you can pay $300,000 to solve one of the biggest massacres in United States history," said attorney Michael Haggard who is representing the Oliver's and the family of one other Stoneman Douglas victim, teacher Scott Beigel.
A spokesperson for the school system issued a statement Friday saying in part that the district continues support efforts for those affected by the shooting, but said, "The district is guided by state law and the law sets sovereign immunity caps for legal actions against all public agencies."
Sovereign immunity, of course, can be overcome. The legislature, for instance, awarded nearly $2 million to the family of Juan Carlos Rivera, who was stabbed to death by classmate Andy Rodriguez at Coral Gables high school in 2009.
The Stoneman Douglas families say money issues should come later, that this year and beyond should be about enough is enough when it comes to gun violence.
"We are here because we are supporting our son. That is the main reason why we are here, but we're also supporting your kids," Manuel Oliver said at the news conference.
"Be with us, speak out, raise your voice," said Patricia Oliver. "We have to make this situation stop."
Imagine, the Oliver's and their attorney wondered, if someone had paid attention to Nikolas Cruz and the many red flags that should have shown the carnage coming.