New York City, Sunday, October 17,
1999 COLUMBINE
HIGH SCHOOL KILLER'S PARENTS STUN SCHOOL
WITH LAWSUIT
TRACY CONNOR
New York Post THE PARENTS of
Columbine High School gunman Dylan
Klebold have stunned authorities by
filing court papers blaming them for
failing to prevent the teen's
bombs-and-bullets rampage. In a bizarre twist of the blame game,
Susan and Thomas Klebold served
notice of their intent to sue the
Jefferson County sheriff's department and
school district. The papers charge that officials
mishandled a complaint filed about Dylan's
violent threats a year before he and pal
Eric Harris killed 13 people and
themselves on April 20. They contend that if investigators had
told them about their son's Internet
rantings and Harris' violent tendencies,
they would have kept the two boys apart
and prevented the mass murder. The
authorities' failure "was so reckless,
willful and wanton as to have caused
the Klebolds to be subject to
substantial damage claims,
vilification, grief and loss of
enjoyment of life." County officials said they were
astonished by the claim.  "I
hope the lawyers who have filed these
notices review the cases and realize that
there is no legal liability," said Bill
Tuthill, assistant Jefferson County
attorney.
Legal experts said the Klebolds -- who
have already been sued by one of their
son's victims and are expecting to be hit
with more claims -- are trying to bolster
their own defense. The couple will seek damages only equal
to those claimed against them by families
who believe they should have prevented
their son from carrying out the worst
school shooting in U.S. history. Jefferson County Sheriff John
Stone, who is named in the Klebolds'
legal filing, agrees. "I think it's outrageous," he said.
"It's their parenting thing, not our fault
for their kid doing this thing. "I'd just like to put this thing behind
us because this thing is getting to an
ugly stage now, with a bunch of lawyers
trying to capitalize on it," he told the
Denver
Post. The Klebolds filed their notice Friday,
the deadline for legal action. Thirteen
other families have filed similar notices
and they now have at least a year to bring
suit. Related
stories:
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