District Hit With 2 $100 Million Lawsuits Over Oxford High School Shooting

The parents of two students who survived the mass shooting at Oxford High School have filed a pair of $100 million lawsuits against the Oxford Community School District, Superintendent Tim Thorne, Oxford High School Principal Steven Wolf, and the Dean of Students Ryan Moore, along with teachers and counselors who work at the school.

The lawsuits were filed by Jeffrey and Brandi Franz on behalf of their daughters, Riley and Bella. Riley, 17, was shot in the neck while her younger sister Bella,14, sat next to her.

The family's lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, said the two girls "were shot down like they were in a war zone."

He said that school officials could have prevented the tragedy if they had taken action against the alleged gunman.

"The horror of November 30, 2021, was entirely preventable," Fieger said in a statement Thursday. "At Oxford High School, they'll search your backpack if they think you're vaping, but they refused to suspend or search a student who wrote what we now know was reams of homicidal notes and drawings, scenes of classroom slaughter and mania."

"There's a responsibility that our society shares in protecting our children," Fieger added. "There is a responsibility among teachers, counselors, and school administrators who could easily have prevented and stopped this slaughter."

The lawsuit details several warning signs that officials missed in the days leading up to the deadliest school shooting since 2018. The day before the shooting, the suspect was caught looking for ammunition on his cell phone while in class. His teacher allowed him to stay in class and never notified the school's safety liaison officer. The teacher did tell the school's counselor about the incident.

On the day of the shooting, another teacher found a note that the suspect wrote, which included a drawing of a gun and the words "The thoughts won't stop help me" and "blood everywhere."

He was sent to the office, and his parents were called in to meet with school officials. After the meeting, the suspect was allowed to return to class. After the meeting, surveillance video captured the teen leaving the bathroom armed with a gun.

"Despite the posts and knowledge of threats of violence, defendant Throne sent correspondence and emails to parents at Oxford High School reassuring them that their children were safe at Oxford High School," the lawsuit reads. "By virtue of defendant Throne's actions, he substantially increased the harm to plaintiff's Minors."