Judge rules in favor of Oxford schools and shoots down victims' families in insurance lawsuit

OAKLAND CO., MI (WNEM) – The families of the Oxford school shooting victims won a legal victory thanks to a judge’s ruling on an insurance lawsuit.

Oxford Community Schools had filed a lawsuit against the insurance company, arguing that more money should be available in the policy. The district will use that money to settle lawsuits against them.

Earlier this week, a judge ruled in favor of the district.

In this case, attorney Ven Johnson represented the victim’s families and the school district.

“It’s a bit of a strange situation where the families and the Oxford Community Schools are actually working together on this,” Johnson said.

He applauds the state judge’s ruling that allows more compensation for those affected by the tragic events of November 2021, when four students were killed and six other students and a teacher were injured.

Oxford Community Schools sued its insurance company to get more money in an effort to settle civil lawsuits against the district.

“We have tried to explain to Oxford Community Schools and to the insurance company called SET SEG that each of these individuals shot is a separate event as defined in the insurance policy. Of course, they said, “No, this is just one event, that’s why there’s only $5 million in insurance policies available.” And the judge ruled, and therefore agreed with our position, that each of these are separate events as defined by this insurance policy, so that would mean coverage worth at least $55 million,” Johnson explained.

A total of eleven people were shot, and $5 million per victim equates to $55 million.

Johnson said it will likely be several years before anyone sees a single cent. He fully expects that SET SEG will appeal this ruling.

“The insurance company would have to pay all that money, and then the families could divide that part of the money fairly among themselves, and at least have a symbol of justice again. Never enough money would never bring these children back and make these families feel whole,” Johnson said.

Johnson said this lawsuit hits close to home because both of his parents were public school teachers.

On Monday, November 18, the families of the victims of the Oxford shooting will make another appeal to demand a state-led independent investigation with full participation. They will once again urge Michigan lawmakers to mandate and fund an independent investigation into the events leading up to the tragic shooting on November 30, 2021.

They said while the shooter And his parents have been convicted, there has been no state-led investigation into the decisions and actions leading up to and during the incident, leaving crucial questions unanswered.

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