A Kern County jury awarded $3.8 million in damages Wednesday to Bowe Cleveland, a former Taft Union High School student who was severely injured during a 2013 school shooting, for his past and future suffering.
The jury found Taft Union High School District 54 percent liable in a civil lawsuit, meaning the school district only has to pay 54 percent of the $3.8 million award. This comes out to $2.052 million.
kAm(:E9:? @?6 J62C @7 E96 D9@@E:?8[ r=6G6=2?5 F?56CH6?E b` DFC86C:6D 2?5 925 E@ E2<6 23@FE bb 5:776C6?E >65:42E:@?D E@ D2G6 9:D =:76 2?5 >2?286 E96 :>>6?D6 A2:? 96 DF776C65[ 9:D 2EE@C?6J[ s2?:6= #@5C:8F6K[ D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C E92E[ #@5C:8F6K @? %F6D52J 2D<65 2 z6C? r@F?EJ ;FCJ 5FC:?8 9:D 4=@D:?8 2C8F>6?ED E@ 2H2C5 Scc]gd >:==:@? E@ r=6G6=2?5 7@C E96 A2:? 2?5 DF776C:?8 96 92D 2=C625J 6?5FC65 2?5 4@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6?5FC6]k^Am
kAm#@5C:8F6K D2:5 96 :D AC@F5 @7 E96 ;FCJ 7@C 9@=5:?8 E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E 244@F?E23=6 7@C :8?@C:?8 H2C?:?8 D:8?D]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 9@A6 E92E E9:D G6C5:4E[ E96 7:CDE :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ D6CG6D 2D 2 H2<6\FA 42== E@ D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 6G6CJH96C6[Q #@5C:8F6K D2:5] Q%96J 92G6 E@ 5@ >@C6 E92? A2J =:A D6CG:46 E@ D49@@= D276EJ — E96J 92G6 E@ >2<6 :E 2 AC:@C:EJ]Qk^Am
kAm%27E &?:@? w:89 $49@@= s:DEC:4E $FA6C:?E6?56?E q=2?42 v] r2G2K@D C6=62D65 E96 7@==@H:?8 DE2E6>6?Ei Q~FC 6?E:C6 4@>>F?:EJ 92D 76=E E96 A2:? @7 qCJ2? ~=:G6C’D 24E:@?D D:?46 96 >256 E96 564:D:@? E@ D9@@E q@H6 r=6G6=2?5 :? y2?] @7 a_`b] %96C6 2C6 D:>A=J ?@ H:??6CD :? E9:D 42D6] %@52J’D G6C5:4E 2==@HD FD E@ 4@?E:?F6 @FC 962=:?8 2D 2 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 H6[ =:<6H:D6[ 9@A6 :E H:== 2==@H |C] r=6G6=2?5 2?5 9:D 72>:=J E@ 5@ E96 D2>6]k^Am
kAmQ(9:=6 H6 4@?E:?F6 962=:?8 2D 2 4@>>F?:EJ[ @G6C E96 A2DE 76H J62CD[ H6’G6 2=D@ =62C?65 2?5 8C@H? :? @FC 2AAC@249 E@ 6?DFC6 E96 D276DE =62C?:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E 7@C @FC DEF56?ED[ DE277 2?5 724F=EJ] (6 C6>2:? DE62572DE :? @FC 4@>>:E>6?E E@ AC@E64E:?8 6G6CJ@?6 :? @FC 4@>>F?:EJ]Qk^Am
kAm#@5C:8F6K H6?E E9C@F89 6249 @7 D:I :DDF6D r=6G6=2?5 92D 562=E H:E9 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 D9@@E:?8 — A9JD:42= A2:?[ A9JD:42= 5:D7:8FC6>6?E[ 762C[ ADJ49@=@8:42= :>A2:C>6?E[ 56AC6DD:@? 2?5 >6?E2= :==?6DD] u@C 9:D A2DE 52>286D[ #@5C:8F6K C64@>>6?565 E96 ;FCJ 2H2C5 Sag]d >:==:@?[ 2?5 7@C 7FEFC6 52>286D[ 96 C64@>>6?565 S`d]bd >:==:@?] k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2 =@E @7 >@?6J[ 3FE :EVD 2 =@E @7 92C>[Q #@5C:8F6K D2:5]k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6J {6@?2C5 w6CC[ H9@ C6AC6D6?ED E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E[ E@=5 ;FC@CD 96 E9@F89E r=6G6=2?5 D9@F=5 36 4@>A6?D2E65[ 3FE 5:776C65 7C@> #@5C:8F6K @? E96 2>@F?E — 96 C64@>>6?565 E96 ;FCJ 2H2C5 r=6G6=2?5 2 E@E2= @7 S`]`b >:==:@? 7@C 2?J 52>286D 7C@> E96 52J @7 E96 D9@@E:?8 E@ AC6D6?E] k^Am
kAmQ}@ 2>@F?E @7 >@?6J H:== 492?86 H92E q@H6 H6?E E9C@F89[Q w6CC D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E E9:D :D 2 5:77:4F=E 42D6 7@C 6G6CJ@?6[ 2?5 9@A67F==J E96 G6C5:4E H:== 3C:?8 D@>6 D@CE @7 C6D@=FE:@? E@ E9@D6 :?G@=G65]Â k^Am
kAm~? y2?] `_[ a_`b[ r=6G6=2?5[ `e 2E E96 E:>6 @7 E96 D9@@E:?8[ H2D D:EE:?8 :? 9:D D4:6?46 4=2DD H96? qCJ2? ~=:G6C H2=<65 :?E@ E96 4=2DDC@@> H:E9 2 D9@E8F? 2?5 @A6?65 7:C6[ DEC:<:?8 r=6G6=2?5 :? E96 496DE] {625 A6==6ED C6>2:? :? r=6G6=2?5VD 3@5J 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 42FD6 AC@3=6>D 7@C 9:> e½ J62CD =2E6C]k^Am
kAm%96 4:G:= =2HDF:E 3C@F89E 3J r=6G6=2?5VD 72>:=J 282:?DE E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E :? pAC:= a_`b 2==6865 E92E 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[ A2CE:4F=2C=J #@?2 p?86=@[ 7@C>6C 2DD:DE2?E AC:?4:A2= 2E %27E w:89[ H6C6 7F==J 2H2C6 @7 E96 52?86CD E96 8F?>2? AC6D6?E65 E@ DEF56?ED 2?5 DE277 2?5 5:5 ?@E9:?8 23@FE :E] #@5C:8F6K D2:5 E96 8F?>2? Q=62<65 9:D :?E6?E:@?DQ 23@FE E96 D9@@E:?8 2?5 9:D G:@=6?E E6?56?4:6D]k^Am
kAmp z6C? r@F?EJ ;FCJ 7@F?5 E96 %27E &?:@? w:89 $49@@= s:DEC:4E ?68=:86?E yF=J `_[ 2C8F:?8 E92E E96 5:DEC:4E :8?@C65 H2C?:?8 D:8?D E92E E96 8F?>2? H2D 52?86C@FD]k^Am
kAmQWr=6G6=2?5X 23D@=FE6=J DF776C65 EC6>6?5@FD A2:?[Q w6CC D2:5] Qw6 D9@F=5 36 7F==J 4@>A6?D2E65 7@C 9:D A2:? 2?5 DF776C:?8]Qk^Am
kAm#@5C:8F6K 5:D4FDD65 :? 8C62E 56E2:= E96 :?;FC:6D r=6G6=2?5 DF776C65[ 3@E9 A9JD:42==J 2?5 >6?E2==J] w6 DF776C65 2 D@7E32==\D:K65 H@F?5 :? 9:D 496DE 7C@> E96 8F?D9@E[ >2DD:G6 3=@@5 =@DD[ D92EE6C65 C:3D[ >F=E:A=6 AF?4EFC6 H@F?5D E@ 9:D =F?8D 2?5 2 Q496DE C:55=65 H:E9 D9@E8F? A6==6ED[Q #@5C:8F6K D2:5] w6 H2D A=2465 :?E@ 2? :?5F465 4@>2 7@C E96 7:CDE 76H H66<D 27E6C E96 D9@@E:?8] r=6G6=2?5 2=D@ DF776CD 7C@> >6?E2= 962=E9 :DDF6D 2D 2 C6DF=E[ #@5C:8F6K D2:5]k^Am
kAmQxV> AC@F5 @7 q@H6[ 3642FD6 96 H2D 23=6 E@ 32EE=6 324< 7C@> 56G2DE2E:?8 :?;FC:6D[ 2?5 96 4@?E:?F6D E@ H@C< 2E 36:?8 2 DFCG:G@C[ 2?5 ?@E 2 G:4E:>[Q #@5C:8F6K D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? a_`b[ AC@D64FE@CD 492C865 ~=:G6C H:E9 EH@ 4@F?ED @7 2EE6>AE65 >FC56C 2?5 2C8F65 2E EC:2= 96 :?E6?565 E@ <:== r=6G6=2?5 2?5 2?@E96C DEF56?E[ y24@3 }:49@=D[ 2D C6E2=:2E:@? 7@C A6C46:G65 3F==J:?8 282:?DE 9:>] ~=:G6C D9@E 2E }:49@=D 3FE >:DD65]k^Am
kAmw6 72465 2 =:76 E6C> :7 4@?G:4E65]k^Am
kAms6AFEJ !F3=:4 s676?56C !2F= r25>2? D2:5 :?46DD2?E 3F==J:?8 2E E96 D49@@= 42FD65 E96 8F?>2? E@ QD?2AQ 2?5 6?E6C 2 3=24<@FE DE2E6 E96 >@C?:?8 @7 E96 D9@@E:?8]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 9F>:=:2E:@?D E96 8F?>2? DF776C65[ r25>2? D2:5[ H2D 2 7:89E 9:D 7C6D9>2? J62C E92E 6?565 :? 9:> 36:?8 D6IF2==J 2DD2F=E65]k^Am
kAmp >:DEC:2= H2D 564=2C65 s64] `f[ a_`c[ 27E6C ;FC@CD H6C6 F?23=6 E@ C6249 2 G6C5:4E]k^Am
kAmp3@FE 2 >@?E9 =2E6C[ ~=:G6C A=62565 ?@ 4@?E6DE E@ EH@ 4@F?ED @7 F?AC6>65:E2E65 2EE6>AE65 >FC56C 2?5 H2D D6?E6?465 E@ af J62CD 2?5 7@FC >@?E9D :? AC:D@?] w6V== 36 6=:8:3=6 7@C A2C@=6 :? =6DD E92? `_ J62CD]k^Am
