DETROIT, Mich. — Attorney Ven Johnson, who represents families of the Oxford school shooting victims, held a press conference Tuesday regarding the recent ruling which protects district staff and administrators from civil lawsuits.
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan announced her ruling Friday, citing governmental immunity.
READ MORE: Oxford Schools, staff immune from shooting lawsuits
Johnson said Tuesday he plans to appeal the ruling.
“What it really illustrates,” Johnson said about the ruling, “is the inherent unfairness…of governmental immunity. A system that was designed to protect the government and its employees from being held liable in a civil courtroom like everybody else across the country.”
Additionally, Johnson called on state lawmakers to get rid of the law, which he says puts the rights of government employees over those of the people they serve.
“No matter what, everybody in this day and age, 2023, in a courtroom in the United States, should be equal. No one should have greater footing than anybody else,” Johnson added. “For a government to pass laws to protect itself from being held accountable when, in a situation like this, overwhelmingly they were absolutely wrong, we think is unconstitutional.”
Parents of both victims and survivors of the shooting also spoke Tuesday.
“When I signed my kids up to go to school, I had no idea what governmental immunity was,” Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling who was killed in the shooting, said. “I had no idea that I was essentially signing their rights and their safety away and, eventually, Justin’s life. I had no idea.”
“Hearing the decision Friday…my heart sank,” Meghan Gregory, the mother of Keegan Gregory who survived the shooting, added. “I think the biggest blow is knowing now that these employees are able to hide every truth, bury the lies as deep as they can. The community is at a point where we need to know the truth…When you aren’t held accountable, why care?”
Johnson said he will appeal the ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals, first, and then go to the Michigan Supreme Court if necessary.
