Overlawyered: Chronicling The High Cost Of Our Legal System

U.K. schools fear liability surge

Britain: “Headteachers yesterday warned that litigious parents could soon sue schools for failing to prevent their children from drinking, smoking or taking drugs. … Families are already taking legal action over schools’ alleged failure to tackle bullying and heads say they could soon be held responsible for obesity, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, drug taking and […]

Britain: “Headteachers yesterday warned that litigious parents could soon sue schools for failing to prevent their children from drinking, smoking or taking drugs. … Families are already taking legal action over schools’ alleged failure to tackle bullying and heads say they could soon be held responsible for obesity, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, drug taking and drinking.” (James Meikle, “Heads predict lawsuits over obesity targets”, The Guardian, Sept. 12).

Filed under: ,

5 Comments

  • If this goes through I wonder if the general public can sue parents for failing to stop their kids from committing criminal acts?

    • By tcaptain

  • I’m honestly not suprised.

    As for parents being sued, I think it’s more likely that we’ll have parents suing any societal element they can get their hands on for “corrupting” their perfect angels. Such has been my experience in tutoring delinquent youths in math.

    • By Jetgirl

  • Why tutor delinquent youths in math? So they can better determine if they get the correct price for the stuff they stole?

  • Where’s the problem with suing a school to prevent bullying? Hmmm . . . the govt. takes thousands of dollars out of my pocket for property taxes, and it cannot protect the basic safety of the children in its charge? Sure, it’s absurd to hold schools responsible for dietary or personal responsibility issues. But when it comes to keep kids from being attacked by others, it’s similarly absurd not to hold the schools responsible. The solution? Just kick the offending children out of the building and send them to a reform institution.

  • “The solution? Just kick the offending children out of the building and send them to a reform institution.”

    So that THEIR parent scan sue the school…

    There’s no escap from this stuff. Anything and EVERYTHING is now a cause of action. It’s basically war, with the “armed forces” being the lawyers.

    War ALWAYS produces a net loss for those involved. It occasionally provides a gain for the winning side, if they win by a large enough margin.

    Th only winners in most cases are the lawyers.

    • By Deoxy