The murder of two Chinese graduate students at the University of Southern California has prompted a lawsuit from the parents of the victims against the school. In the suit, the parents accuse the school of falsely claiming to rank among the “safest U.S. universities and colleges.” The suit says the university has created a misleading feeling of safety around the campus that in actuality cannot be promised.
Two former employees in the Decatur Township school system in Indiana have filed lawsuits against the district, alleging age discrimination in their termination. One suit alleges the district did not renew the plaintiff’s contract after she took a month of federal-approved medical leave; the other plaintiff says he was replaced with a younger, “healthier” employee after declining to opt into a cheaper health insurance plan.
A Chicago mother has filed a lawsuit against an elementary school security guard for allegedly handcuffing a first-grader and detaining him for more than an hour. The suit accuses the guard of “acting in conscious disregard” of the boy’s safety, and says the actions were “reckless.” The boy suffered “permanent” and “personal” injuries, the suit says.
The Food and Drug Administration has announced that the ShoulderFlex Massager poses serious health risks to consumers, and has caused one death due to strangulation. The agency said necklaces, hair or parts of clothing can become caught in part of the machine that rotates, posing a severe strangulation hazard. The device, distributed by King International, is a personal massage device designed for home use.
A Utah woman has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs over the death of her husband from an overdose of medications prescribed by VA doctors. The man, who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury he sustained in Iraq, was taking a myriad of drugs. The lawsuit claims his doctors should have monitored his prescriptions more closely and that they failed in their duty to “provide reasonable, necessary, appropriate and timely medical care and treatment.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of candleholder with French vanilla candles sold at Dollar Tree,Dollar Bill$, Deal$ and Dollar Tree Deal$ stores. The agency said the candleholders can unexpectedly shatter while in use, posing laceration and fire hazards. The products were sold from December 2010 through April 2011.
The Austin City Council has agreed to a $750,000 settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed over a fatal police shooting in 2009. Nathaniel Sanders, 18, was shot and killed by a police officer during a struggle in the early morning in an East Austin apartment parking lot. The incident prompted concerns over Austin police officers’ use of force against minorities, and the officer responsible for the shooting was later fired.
A federal appeals court has reinstated a wrongful death lawsuit filed against a Madera, Calif., police officer who shot a man in the chest with her pistol, believing it to be her Taser. The man was handcuffed in the back seat of the officer’s patrol car when the incident occurred. The appeals court said the officer had acknowledged the man posed no danger to anyone but himself, and that a jury might even question the use of a Taser in the situation, let alone a gun.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 2,200 Fiskars® SmartPower™ String Trimmers due to fire and laceration hazards. The agency said that the engine vibrations can wear on the fuel line and cause a propane fuel leak. In addition, high temperatures near the cutting guard can cause it to deform and fall off, posing laceration risks. Purchasers are asked to immediately stop using the product and contact Fiskars for a full refund.
