NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The parents of Dayana Escalante, the 16-year-old killed in January's Antioch High School shooting, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Metro Nashville Public Schools, seeking $700,000 in damages.
The lawsuit claims school administrators knew about the shooter's troubling criminal history but failed to take appropriate action to protect students.
Court records show the 17-year-old shooter, Solomon Henderson, had a documented history of violence at school. The lawsuit references incidents including a death threat he sent to a teacher and an altercation where he pulled a box cutter on a student in a hallway.
Despite district policy calling for expulsion in such cases, Henderson was only given a two-day suspension for the box cutter incident, according to previous NewsChannel 5 Investigates reporting.
The attorney representing Escalante's family believes they have a solid case for the damages they're seeking.
The lawsuit asks the court to award the parents the maximum damages allowed under the Governmental Tort Liability Act, $700,000, broken down as follows: $300,000 for the death and loss of their child, and separately $400,000 for their other injuries, damages, and losses.
As of Monday morning, the director of Metro's legal department had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Escalante's hometown in Guatemala recently named a street after her, a gesture her aunt described as a true "act of love" in a video posted to Facebook.
Do you have concerns about safety protocols at your child's school or information about how disciplinary issues are being handled? We want to hear from you. Email me at Hannah.McDonald@NewsChannel5.com.
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