By Megan Spicer, From The Connecticut Law Tribune

Maren Sanchez had warned employeess at her Milford high school that Christopher Plaskon was dangerous and had threatened to hurt himself and others, according to a just-filed lawsuit. But, says Sanchez’s family, officials at Jonathan Law High School took no action and Plaskon stabbed Sanchez to death in April 2014.

The lawsuit names the city, its board of education, Plaskon and his family. It comes just a little over a week after Plaskon pleaded no contest to killing the teenager who had rejected his prom invitation.

The suit, filed in the Ansonia-Milford Superior Court, claims the school district did not follow established protocols in reporting Plaskon’s threats to proper authorities and that it erred in allowing him to return to school after a week-long absence without a safety plan in place.

On the morning of April 25, 2014, Plaskon arrived on the school campus with a knife, as he had done several times before. In the days before, he had made comments overhead by others that he intended to hurt Sanchez, 16 at the time, according to the suit. Before classes began, Plaskon found Sanchez and stabbed her repeatedly in a stairway foyer. She later died of her injuries.
Police and family members have said he was upset that she would not go to the prom with him.

“Maren Sanchez’s injuries and death were caused by the negligence of one or more employees of the defendant board and the defendant city in failing to take reasonable measure to monitor” Plaskon, according to lawsuit, filed by David Golub of Stamford’s Silver Golub & Teitell. Golub said the family had waited until the conclusion of the criminal case before filing the civil suit against the school and Plaskon family.

“We feel there was an opportunity here for the school system and Plaskon’s parents to intervene to prevent Maren’s death from happening,” said Sanchez’s mother, Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez, in a statement provided by Golub. “We’re bringing this lawsuit to make sure that reports like the one Maren made are properly handled and that parents and school personnel will respond to protect minor children from terrible injury and death.”

‘Destructive Behavior’

Plaskon, 18, pleaded no contest on March 7 to Sanchez’s murder and is facing a 25-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal. His sentencing is scheduled for June 6. “We feel that this case involves important issues about the responsibility of a school system to respond to reports of potential student violent and to protect its students from harm from other students and the responsibility of parents to take affirmative steps to prevent their children from engaging in destructive behavior,” Golub said in a statement.

Sanchez, according to the complaint, was aware that Plaskon was emotionally disturbed and was threatening to harm and kill himself. She told the guidance counselor about Plaskon’s threats and said that he may try to hurt others as well. Sanchez’s counselor immediately contacted Plaskon’s guidance counselor and passed along Sanchez’s information.

But contrary to Milford Board of Education policies, the lawsuit says, the counselor did not contact high school administrators or the state Department of Children and Families. The counselor, however, did reportedly notify Plaskon’s parents about Sanchez’s concerns. Following that conversation, Plaskon was absent from school for a week. School district policies required that administrators be made aware of Plaskon’s return and put a safety plan in place, according to the lawsuit.

However, the plaintiffs say, this was not done and the school administration still did not know about his violent threats when Plaskon returned. Milford school officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Because defendants’ guidance counselors did not fulfill their mandatory duty to verify, upon Christopher Plaskon’s return to school in late 2013, that it was safe for him to attend school and that he was not at substantial risk for inflicting harm upon himself or others, Christopher Plaskon was not prevented from engaging in continuing self-destructive conduct, was allowed to bring a knife with him to school, and was in a position where he could inflict violent harm to himself or other students,” according to the lawsuit. It claims that none of the teachers, administrators or security at the school checked to see if Plaskon was in possession of a weapon when he came back to school.

Plaskon argued in court that his actions were the result of a mental illness, but the Sanchez lawsuit claims he should have taken steps to control his illness as to not harm anyone. It also claims his parents should have been more aware of their son’s actions and taken steps to ensure he would not harm anyone, including himself.

The suit is seeking funeral expenses and other damages.

For more on this story go to: http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202752382279/Slain-Students-Family-Files-Suit-Against-School-District-Killers-Parents#ixzz43AopTMob

IMAGE: www.courant.com Christopher Plaskon