In a story that is likely to resonate in the national debate over President Donald Trump’s push to get teacher’s armed in school, a teacher at Seaside High School in Sand City, Ca. injured a student when his gun discharged in a class. Even more embarrassing is that the class was on gun safety.
Dennis Alexander, a reserve police officer for the Sand City Police Department and a Seaside councilman, has been named as the responsible teacher by the Monterey County Herald.
The class was on the administration of justice class. I am a bit surprised that gun safety is part of the class, though I think it is important to have such classes in areas with a large number of guns.
The student was hit by flying debris after the round hit the ceiling and was not reportedly seriously injured.
We have previously discussed such cases of negligence. Obviously the student can sue for negligence. Moreover, since this is an official part of the class, the school can be liable under principles of respondeat superior. This is within the scope of his employment.
A high school teacher in Northern California accidentally fired a gun inside a classroom Tuesday afternoon and injured at least one student.
The Mercury News reported that Dennis Alexander, a reserve police officer for Sand City, had been providing safety instructions at Seaside High School when he accidentally fired a single shot from a semi-automatic handgun into the ceiling, police said.
A student was hit in the neck by debris after the bullet ricocheted off the ceiling, but was not seriously injured, police said.
The incident was brought under control and classes resumed, but an investigation is ongoing, the Monterey County Herald reported.
“We’re looking into any violation violation of city ordinance or the penal code and we’ll determine whether or not there are any applicable charges