DENVER — The family of one of the students slain in the Columbine High massacre sued the parents of the teen-age gunmen for $250 million Thursday, accusing them of negligence.

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed the lawsuit in state court on behalf of the parents of Isaiah Shoels, 18, who witnesses said was gunned down because he was black and an athlete.

"Responsibility for violence sometimes extends beyond the person who pulls the trigger," Fieger said. "It sometimes extends to those who contribute to individual acts of violence."

The lawsuit names Wayne and Katherine Harris, and Thomas and Susan Klebold, whose sons hurled bombs and blasted away with guns inside Columbine on April 20, killing 12 students and a teacher. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold then committed suicide.

A spokeswoman for the Klebolds' lawyer had no comment. An attorney for the Harrises did not immediately return a call.

Investigators have said Harris, 18, and Klebold, 17, had planned the attack for more than a year. In the Harris home, investigators found bomb-making materials and a diary that described how the massacre would be carried out. And the sawed-off barrel of a shotgun was lying on a dresser in Harris' bedroom.

Shortly after the attack, Sheriff John Stone wondered how the young men's activities could have gone unnoticed and said: "I think parents should be accountable for their kids' actions."

The lawsuit alleges the parents failed to take corrective action when their sons stockpiled guns and bombs, and gave them "extraordinary privileges" despite their run-ins with the law.

The parents "had a duty to not act negligently and to not expose others to the unreasonable risk of harm by such negligence," the lawsuit says.

Although courts have ruled parents can be held liable for such things as property damage done by their children, this type of case is much more difficult to prove, legal analysts said.

"What we're talking about is an intentional, deliberate, criminal act," said Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz. "It would probably be illegal to hold parents responsible for their children's actions unless you can show some specific fault on the part of the parents."

Attorney Andrew Cohen of Denver, a legal analyst for the news media, said Fieger would have to prove the parents should have known their teenagers were arming for an attack.

"It may turn out that they knew their kids weren't angels. That's a very far stretch from proving the attack would take place," Cohen said.

During a news conference, Fieger, who represented Dr. Jack Kevorkian and who sued talk-show host Jenny Jones, repeatedly said the case "is not about money."

The amount was set "so that you will pay attention to the symbol, because it is a symbol, and so we can effectuate another change in this state," he said.

Colorado law puts a $250,000 limit on damage awards for negligence caused by a minor. Fieger said if he wins the case, he will file an appeal to exceed the limit.

Fieger claimed Colorado has been influenced by an insurance industry that controls the Legislature and the governor's office. He contended the insurance company "has bought and paid for them (and) has valued human life at less than what a minor league ballplayer makes in major league ball."

In a related development, 13 crosses honoring the Columbine victims that were installed at a park near the school were re-erected Thursday to the Chapel Hills Memorial Gardens cemetery, where four victims were buried.

They were moved because the public park could not have a permanent memorial bearing religious symbols.

May 28, 1999 | Print this page