Slain student's family files claim against district, county

[WriteDown]

Source: Ventura County Star

The family of slain Oxnard eighth-grader Larry King has filed injury claims against the Hueneme School District and the County of Ventura, alleging their failure to protect the boy led to his death.

The boy's parents, Dawn and Gregory King, along with his younger brother, Rocky King, are seeking unspecified damages related to the fatal shooting of the 15-year-old boy as he sat in English class at E.O. Green School in Oxnard on Feb. 12.

To protect their rights to sue, plaintiffs must file claims against public agencies for injury, death or property damage within six months. The claims were received last Friday, a few days before the six-month mark.

King's father declined comment Thursday, and family attorney Steve Pell did not return a call seeking comment.....

Read more: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/aug/15/county-schools-face-king-claims/

---

What a tragic story, but it sounds like this lawsuit is misdirected.

[Blue Diadem]

1. I'd read a length story recently about both the boys.

Terribly sad. It goes into their early years and their problems. I'm not sure what to think about the lawsuit.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/147790?tid=relatedcl

[WriteDown]

2. Thanks for the link! n/t

[damntexdem]

3. The lawsuit targets those who stood up for the kid's rights.

The crime was a hate crime. Blaming the advocate is disgusting. The message of the lawsuit is that it is the system's responsibility to keep kids in the closet until they are 'old enough.'

Oh, but was the kid too young to know what he was letting himself in for? No. He was not too young to realize what his orientation was, so was not too young to act on it. For this, he was targeted, just as Matthew Shepherd was.

[Blue Diadem]

6. Yes it was a hate crime. Very sad.

I'm not sure what the school could have done to protect him. Yes, they protected his civil rights but what did they actually do to protect his life? That's why I don't know what to think about the lawsuit. Could the school have done more? Could they have had assemblies and discussed tolerance and acceptance? Could they have cracked down on those who teased him?

Yes, I saw the claims about the dress code too. That part, I feel the parents aren't accepting who their son was.

It's heart breaking to know that he was teased, tormented and threatened for almost all his school years.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. The school could have kept these kids apart

They could have transferred one or the other to a different building. They could have provided counseling. They could have offered a bully prevention program. They could have insisted this kid not dress like he did.

Teacher here. There were red flags all over the place that this school ignored. For one thing, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that this kid should have been placed in an alternative school.

The school didn't do enough and the administrators got promoted. That just doesn't smell good at all.

[Blue Diadem]

8. Thank you. Those are excellent ways the school could

have protected him. After reading the Newsweek article, I was shocked that it appeared the problem was being ignored but was unsure what exactly a school could do.

Could they actually insist he not dress as he did? Would that not be a case for civil rights?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Not if they had a uniform policy

or a dress code (which most schools do have). They can also claim his dress interferes with the climate at school.

We had a boy at my school who wore eye liner and nail polish. The kids made fun of him, his mom complained and the principal said no more nail polish or eye liner. Problem solved.

[DumpDavisHogg]

11. Uniforms are unconstitutional

Tinker v. Des Moines had its say on this. You can't require uniforms in public schools, because they violate the First Amendment.

I know a lot of schools have uniforms now anyway, but it's still unconstitutional.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Most urban districts require uniforms now

I don't think they know about that court case. :)

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. He had received death threats at school

and it doesn't sound like the school did much to keep him safe.

Lawsuit no surprise.

[ben_meyers]

5. "failed to enforce the middle school's dress code"?

In the claims, the Kings say school and county staff members failed to enforce the middle school's dress code.

That put the feminine-dressing King at particular risk at a time when staff members knew he had "unique vulnerabilities" and was "susceptible to abuse" because of his perceived sexual orientation, the claim says.

And if they had enforced the dress code someone would have probably sued anyway. What a no win situation.

[Danger Mouse]

10. What a tragedy...and what a scumbag...at 14 to murder somebody.

I wonder what his parents are like? :puke:

[pop goes the weasel]

13. not sure the suit is intended to go through

If they are suing because they have to in order to maintain their right to sue, perhaps they are still sifting through what happened, and are just doing this as a legal manuever without intention to go to court.