School Violence Lawyer news

Attorney Douglas Fierberg talks with Assistant Attorney General William Mimms

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:26:36 EST

From USA Today:

Attorney Douglas Fierberg, left, talks with Assistant Attorney General William Mimms, right, during a news conference concerning the Virginia Tech settlement in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Fierberg represented many of the Virginia Tech victim families.

Judge Agrees to Va. Tech Payout

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:03:51 EST

From the Washington Post

A Circuit Court judge approved an $11 million settlement Tuesday for most of the families of victims of last year's Virginia Tech massacre, but some of them remain dissatisfied and angry over the actions of the state and the school.

Bad Jocks or Bad Coach?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:30:52 EST

From ABC News

Washington-based trial lawyer Douglas Fierberg said he agreed that schools need to start educating students on hazing, because he's seen what kind of tragedies can result.
Fierberg said badjocks.com finally lets people actually see what has been happening for a long time. Fierberg has represented seven families throughout the United States who have lost their children to hazing. "Deaths don't even tell the whole story. There are a lot of women out there who wake up the next morning with a fragmented understanding of what happened to them the night before."

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Alcohol-saturated 'fun' on campus can be lethal

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:27:53 EST

From USA Today

As students head to the nation's college campuses, relishing their new independence, criminal prosecutions in the deaths of two young men are a sober reminder of how quickly alcohol-fueled "fun" can spin out of control.
Charges were filed this month against students and administrators linked to the recent fire death of a 19-year-old sophomore at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and the alcohol poisoning of a 18-year-old freshman at Rider University in Trenton, N.J.

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Dean Pleads Not Guilty in Hazing Case

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:22:33 EST

From the Washington Post

TRENTON, N.J. -- Rider University's dean of students pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal hazing in connection with the death of a freshman who had been binge drinking at a fraternity house.
The dean, Anthony Campbell, was one of two school officials and three students charged with aggravated hazing. He did not speak at Thursday's court hearing.

The student, 18-year-old Gary DeVercelly Jr. of Long Beach, Calif. had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent _ more than five times New Jersey's legal limit for driving _ when he was pronounced dead March 30 at a hospital, authorities have said. He died one day after drinking at a party at the Phi Kappa Tau house on the private school's campus in central New Jersey.

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Hazing in Greek system not frequently litigated

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:16:19 EST

From the Daily Bruin

Matthew Carrington sat in the cold basement, soaked and shivering, surrounded by his peers.

He had ingested gallons upon gallons of water that night in a pledge initiation ritual for his fraternity, Chi Tau.

He was dead the next morning.

Carrington was a victim of an alleged case of hazing at Cal State Chico University. Four students have been charged with manslaughter, along with eight charged with hazing, in the wake of Carrington’s death on Feb. 2 due to “water intoxication.” As Chico’s university community continues to mourn while the trial for the involved fraternity members is pending, the city is witnessing its first case ever of students being charged with hazing.

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Doug Fierberg on WDBJ7

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:57:31 EST

Read the article on WDBJ7

Deal Reached in Virginia Tech Shootings

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:56:22 EST

Read the New York Times Article

Doug Fierberg gives keynote address at the Clery Act Training at Michigan State University

Sat, 03 May 2008 12:44:00 EST

(Right to left) Daniel Carter, Catherine Bath, Doug Fierberg and Steven Healy following Doug's keynote speech at the March 17, 2007 Clery Act Training at Michigan State University