Oxford Schools Ask Judge To Throw Out Lawsuits: Lawyer

OXFORD, MI — Oxford school officials asked a judge to throw out federal lawsuits against the district after Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to fatally shooting four students in the deadly Oxford school shooting, according to court documents.

School officials said in the motion that district employees are protected by governmental immunity and that school personnel did not know Crumbley was a threat to other students.

"There is no suggestion that EC (Ethan Crumbley) had a known longstanding history of disciplinary issues, issues with other students, threatening behavior, or violence towards others," Oxford schools defense attorney Timothy Mullins said.

The motion comes as the district faces numerous lawsuits accusing school officials of ignoring disturbing warning signs leading up to the deadly shooting and failing to stop the deadly attack on Nov. 30, 2021.

Attorney Ven Johnson also added an Oxford High School security guard to his lawsuit against the district, claiming she had the opportunity to prevent the shooting in the boy's bathroom, but closed the door and walked away without her body camera activated.

Four students — Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin — were killed in the shooting when authorities said sophomore student Ethan Crumbley opened fire.

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.

Oxford School officials also 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. 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.