Oxford School Employees Can't Be Sued Over Mass Shooting: Judge

OXFORD, MI — An Oakland County judge ruled late Friday that Oxford school employees cannot be sued in connection to the deadly Oxford school shooting.

Judge Mary Ellen Brennan ruled the district and its employees are protected by government immunity from any civil lawsuits claiming school officials failed to stop a 15-year-old student from carrying out the deadly shooting.

"Ethan Crumbley's act of firing the gun, rather than the alleged conduct of the individual Oxford defendants, was the one most immediate, efficient and direct cause of the injury or damage," Brennan said.

The ruling comes as the school district faces multiple federal and state lawsuits arguing school officials ignored disturbing warning signs from Ethan Crumbley, who pleaded guilty to killing four fellow classmates and wounding seven other people.

Four students — Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin — were killed in the shooting.

Government agencies and their employees are typically not responsible for their negligent acts, if they happened within the scope of their governmental function or employment, according to Michigan law.

Detroit attorney Ven Johnson, who has filed one of numerous lawsuits against the district, said the Oxford families he represents are disappointed by the ruling and will be appealing the decision.

"On behalf of our Oxford clients, we are deeply saddened and disappointed by Judge Brennan’s dismissal today of all the Oxford Community Schools defendants," Johnson said. "We maintain that governmental immunity is wrong and unconstitutional, and the law should be changed immediately."

Oxford School officials came under fire for declining a free third-party review from Attorney General Dana Nessel's office, opting instead to hire two independent law firms to investigate the events leading up to the deadly shooing at Oxford High School.

Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to 24 counts, including four counts of premeditated murder and terrorism, in connection to the school shooting. He was placed in the Oakland County Jail while waiting for a sentencing date.

Crumbley's parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, were also each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the shooting. They are being held each on a $500,000 bond in the Oakland County Jail.

The couple's trial was scheduled to start in January 2023, but the Michigan Supreme Court temporarily paused the trial to allow an appeals court to ensure there is probate cause to try the couple on the involuntary manslaughter charges.