21-05-2025
Federal judge dismisses slew of Oxford High shooting civil suits
It appears hopes have been dashed for families suing Oxford Community Schools in federal court for negligence over the November 2021 shooting, as a slew of civil cases were closed this week.
In a largely procedural move, a federal judge on Tuesday, May 20, dismissed several civil lawsuits claiming Oxford Community Schools' officials could have prevented the attack that left four students dead and seven others, including a teacher, injured. The dismissals were with prejudice, meaning the same case can't be filed again.
The dismissal applies to cases filed by multiple students who survived gunshot wounds that day and family members of all the students who were killed: Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling.
While it closes a heartbreaking and long legal chapter for the families fighting in federal court, the dismissal was expected. It follows a March 2025 opinion by a U.S. Court of Appeals 6th District Court judge finding that the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to show that school district officials were "so outrageous and so callous in their disregard" of the danger the shooter posed that it violated their constitutional rights.
Following the tragedy at Oxford High School, a slew of family members of dead students, injured students and traumatized students filed suit, accusing district officials of negligence in preventing the shooting. The suits and criminal case against the shooter revealed a number of troubling incidents before he brought a gun to school and used it, according to court documents:
An English teacher saw the shooter, Ethan Crumbley, looking at photos of bullets on his phone. He was referred to a school counselor, Shawn Hopkins. Crumbley told Hopkins it was a family hobby.
On Nov. 30, the day of the shooting, another teacher saw Crumbley watching videos of shootings on his phone. The teacher also reported the behavior to Hopkins, while another teacher that same day reported that Crumbley on a worksheet had sketched the image of a gun, a person with gunshot wounds and had written, "blood everywhere," "my life is useless," and "the thoughts won't stop help me."
Hopkins called Crumbley's parents to the school and said he needed immediate counseling. They said they could not take him from school and Hopkins threatened to call Children's Protective Services if they didn't get their son help in 48 hours. Hopkins and another school official returned Crumbley's backpack, which was where he'd stored his gun, and allowed the student to return to class.
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Later, attorneys for the families of students killed in the shooting argued the inaction by district officials amounted to a violation of the 14th Amendment, which stipulates that Americans will not be deprived of "life, liberty or property" without due process.
Attorneys for the school district and officials argued they were shielded from these claims through government immunity, which largely protects government officials in the case of civil lawsuits except for in extreme cases. As the cases continued to wind through the court system, family members complained in interviews with news organizations that such immunity clauses unfairly protected Oxford High staff members.
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Christine Smith, a spokeswoman for the district, shared the following statement:
"We are aware of the federal court's decision and understand that it may bring a range of emotions for our community. As always, our focus is on our students, staff, families, and the Oxford community as we are dedicated to fostering a safe, compassionate, and supportive environment for all. We remain deeply committed to supporting all who were impacted by this tragedy and want to remind our community that mental health resources and support are available for anyone who needs them at
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Federal judge dismisses slew of Oxford High shooting civil suits
