Skip to main content

Girl gets $1.2M settlement over school shooting

By WTOP Staff

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) — The family of a girl who was critically wounded two years ago when a gun went off inside a classmate’s backpack at her Washington state elementary school agreed Friday to a $1.2 million legal settlement.

The Bremerton School District is paying $900,000, while the gun owner’s homeowner’s insurance pays the rest, the Kitsap Sun reported (http://is.gd/7hXrEm ).

Amina Kocer-Bowman was 9 years old in February 2012 when a classmate brought a gun to school in his backpack. The gun went off, shattering her elbow and damaging her organs before lodging in her spine. She underwent multiple surgeries during more than a month in the hospital.

The family’s attorney, Jeff Campiche, says the money will be put in a trust for Amina’s education. The settlement includes legal fees and costs.

Amina and her family now live near Billings, Montana, where Amina will enter sixth grade this fall. She made no statement during a hearing in Kitsap County Superior Court on Friday. Outside the courtroom, her father, John Bowman, said the family hoped the suit would set a precedent to make schools safer.

“It’s kind of an opportunity to move on, I guess, and let us start our next chapter, and let Amina get a fresh start,” he said.

The school district said in a statement that it was glad to reach the settlement, and the shooting showed the importance of safety drills in responding to “unpredictable events,” KOMO-TV reported (http://bit.ly/1AJfcUo ). But the district doesn’t believe it’s liable, attorney Andrew Biggs said.

“The school district has always viewed this case as one in which there is no liability, and it still appears to be that way,” Biggs said in court.

The classmate took the gun from the home of his mother’s then-boyfriend, Doug Bauer. The boy’s mother, Jamie Lee Chaffin, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with Jason Cochran, the boy’s father, and Patrick Cochran, his uncle and guardian. The other defendants have no means to contribute to the settlement, so the burden falls on the school district and Bauer’s insurance.

The suit alleged negligence on all the defendants’ parts and asserted that the school district should have done more to recognize and head off the tragedy. The boy said he brought the gun to school because he was afraid of other students.

The boy made a plea agreement with Kitsap County prosecutors, taking responsibility for bringing the .45-caliber handgun to school and writing a letter of apology to Amina. He agreed to a year of court-supervised probation, during which time he also was barred from attending school in Bremerton and other local districts. As part of the plea deal, he agreed to testify in criminal cases against his mother and Bauer.

Bauer faced a charge of third-degree felony assault, but the state Supreme Court ruled last month that the case against Bauer could not move forward. The justices held that while Bauer may have been negligent in leaving loaded guns out in the house, his negligence did not make him culpable under state law for the assault charge.

The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing Bauer’s file to see if other charges might be filed, according to prosecutor Russ Hauge.

Chaffin, who has a felony record, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. She is tentatively scheduled to plead guilty this month.

___

Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote