Florida district to pay $26 million to families of those killed, wounded in school shooting

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — The Broward County, Florida, school district will pay more than $26 million to the families of 17 people killed and some of those injured in the 2018 Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Board members approved the two legal settlements on Tuesday.

A total of $25 million will be shared by 51 plaintiffs, including families of the 17 dead as well as students and staff who were injured at the Parkland school. The families also reached a settlement with the FBI last month that will pay them over $127 million for its failure to possibly prevent the attack.

The district will also pay $1.25 million to Anthony Borges, who suffered some of the most severe injuries. His lawyer split off from the larger case, saying Borges will have a lifetime of expensive medical needs, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that state law capped the district’s total liability at $300,000, but the district agreed to go beyond that limit. Since the shooting, two family members of those killed have been elected to the school board: Debbi Hixon, whose husband Chris Hixon was the athletic director, and Lori Alhadeff, the mother of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff. Neither took part in the negotiations or vote.

Read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/ap/florida-district-to-pay-26-million-to-families-of-those-killed-wounded-in-school-shooting/article_e2770698-5ded-11ec-bd69-73c4d17e7a33.html