January 1, Oxford High School Shooting Victim’s Parents File $100M Lawsuits

The parents of a high school senior shot in the neck during a mass shooting at Oxford High School filed a pair of $100 million lawsuits against the school district, alleging that the violence was preventable.

Jeffrey and Brandi Franz filed the suits in federal court in Detroit and Oakland County Circuit Court on behalf of their daughters. Riley Franz, 17, was wounded in the attack, while her ninth-grade sister Bella, 14, was next to her.

The filings are the first civil suits connected to the shooting, filed against the Oxford school district, Superintendent Tim Throne, principal Steven Wolf, two counselors, two teachers, and an additional staff member.

Ethan Crumbley, 15, shot ten students and a teacher, leaving four people dead, on Nov. 30. He’s been charged as an adult with a litany of crimes, including murder and terrorism. His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, were arrested for involuntary manslaughter charges.

However, personal injury lawyers seem dubious that lawsuits against the school district would be successful.

“You have to show that the administration or faculty members were grossly negligent, meaning they had a reckless disregard for whether an injury was likely to take place,” said attorney A. Vince Colella.

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School district faces two $100M suits after Oxford shootings