In the case of Crofts v. Issaquah School District, No. 19-35473 (9th Cir. 2022), the testimony of a School Safety Expert Witness was pivotal in addressing allegations of negligence related to the supervision of a child with special needs.
Background of the Case
The plaintiff, Sandra Crofts, filed a lawsuit against the Issaquah School District after her daughter, A.S., who has special needs, sustained injuries during a school activity. Crofts alleged that the school failed to provide adequate supervision and did not adhere to the individualized education program (IEP) designed to ensure her daughter’s safety. The school district contended that they had followed appropriate protocols and that the injury was an unfortunate accident.
Role of the School Safety Expert Witness
Dr. Sherryll Kraizer, a nationally recognized authority on school and child safety, was retained as an expert witness for the plaintiff. With decades of experience in designing safety programs and training educational institutions, Dr. Kraizer evaluated the circumstances of the incident, including staff supervision protocols, the implementation of the IEP, and how school personnel responded to known risks associated with A.S.’s condition.
Dr. Kraizer’s analysis included:
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Reviewing staff-to-student ratios and their adequacy during the activity.
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Evaluating whether the school’s actions complied with best practices for special education environments.
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Determining whether foreseeable risks to A.S. were appropriately mitigated.
She concluded that there were clear lapses in how the school followed A.S.’s IEP and in how they supervised her during the incident. These lapses, in her professional opinion, created avoidable hazards that led to A.S.’s injuries.
Court’s Findings
The District Court carefully considered Dr. Kraizer’s testimony and found it to be both credible and consistent with the documented facts of the case. The court determined that the Issaquah School District had not sufficiently implemented the IEP and had failed to provide the level of supervision required for a student with A.S.’s profile. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding damages for the injury and emotional distress suffered by A.S. and her family.
Legal Significance
This case reinforced the obligation schools have to fully implement individualized education programs, not only as a matter of educational compliance but also as a fundamental component of student safety. The ruling made clear that failure to follow an IEP can constitute negligence, especially when it leads to injury.
Additionally, the court’s acceptance of the expert witness’s analysis as a basis for its judgment underscored the growing importance of testimony from professionals with specific expertise in school safety and special education protocols.
Conclusion
The outcome of Crofts v. Issaquah School District illustrates the critical role that a School Safety Expert Witness can play in litigation involving educational institutions. By shedding light on whether a school adhered to appropriate safety standards and legal obligations, such experts can be instrumental in guiding judicial understanding of complex school environments. This case stands as a reminder that schools must rigorously implement and monitor individualized plans to protect vulnerable students—and that expert insight can be essential to holding institutions accountable when they fail to do so.