TwinCities.com published by the Pioneer Press had an article today on the Minneapolis Public Schools and their lack of liability and lack of liability insurance for injury at the schools. It seems there is an old law (1969) which they are falling back on to not accept liability for injury at schools and to not carry liability insurance. It's a loophole that is currently being tried in court. If the school system wins, it could set a precedent for the rest of the schools in the state.
It seems the old adage, "You can't fight City Hall" is being applied here. If they're big enough and government enough, maybe they can get by with their actions.
That wasn't the case in Chicago when I was student teaching many years ago. There I was instructed not to help a child on the playground if they were hurt. Don't move them. Don't apply CPR. Don't apply anything but a bandage and plain water. If they're bleeding, don't apply pressure, etc. I was told to ignore the injured child. I was appalled. Everything in my inner being said I would rather be fired than neglect the assistance of a child hurt on the playground. At the very least I would cover them and comfort them until help came. The reasoning behind the advice I was given then was that the parents could sue, so it would be better to let the kid die than get blood on your hands. . . Wouldn't the parents sue for NOT doing something if the child died? The reasoning made no sense to me because it took the humanity out of our student teacher relationships. It removed our ability to care and would eventually deaden our feelings toward the students.
REALTORS carry extra liability insurance on their cars because they haul passengers around as part of their business. Landlords carry extra liability insurance on their properties because someone might slip on the front step when delivering the paper. Some dog owners carry liability insurance against dog bites. Homeowners carry liability insurance on their homes in case someone trips on a stick in their yard. Insurance is a standard of practice in most occupations and in home ownership. Why should the Minneapolis school system get by without insurance? What if the school were truly negligent and someone were seriously injured? What if . . .
The reasoning is beyond me and it will be interesting to follow this legal action to its conclusion.
Quite an amusing image used here!
Posted by: Stephen | April 27, 2007 at 09:23 AM