Ventura County, school district face claims in Oxnard shooting
The family of Lawrence King, who was shot by a classmate in an incident being called a hate crime, says officials failed to protect him.
The family of an Oxnard eighth-grader who was by a classmate at school has filed personal injury claims against the school district and county alleging that their failure to protect the boy led to his death.
Lawrence King, 15, was shot in the head Feb. 12 at E.O. Green Junior High School. At the time, he was a ward of Ventura County, a foster child living at Casa Pacifica, a shelter for abused and troubled children in Camarillo.
His classmate Brandon McInerney, 14, was charged days later with premeditated murder and special allegations of a hate crime and firearm use. McInerney was charged as an adult.
Classmates said King and a group of boys, including McInerney, had a verbal confrontation involving King's sexual orientation a day before the shooting. King was known to wear makeup and jewelry and had proclaimed himself gay, students said.
The filed by parents Dawn and Gregory King and his brother Rocky King last week alleges that the Hueneme School District did not enforce the school dress code and therefore failed to protect King from harm. It also alleges that the county had failed to protect King because it "permitted him to go to public school rather than attend school at Casa Pacifica where he would be safe."
The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, seeks unspecific damages against the county and school.
District officials said they were aware of the friction between McInerney and King and had offered counseling to both.
"The school staff did nothing wrong," said Supt. Jerry Dannenberg. "In fact, everything we have indicates they did everything right in this case. It's an unfortunate circumstance, but the school didn't fail to do anything."
Dannenberg said the school enforced the dress code in accordance with California law.
King's mother informed officials she was concerned King would be hurt because of "the outward appearance of cross-dressing, wearing makeup, wearing girl's clothing, shoes, etc." but did not place King in a group or foster home. The county's Department of Behavior Health also failed to "properly diagnose and treat" King, according to the claim.
Neither the county nor family representatives could immediately be reached for comment.
King's family also alleged the county had knowledge of previous death threats at a previous school but did not protect him from that extra vulnerability by enforcing the dress code.
Under state law, both parties have 45 days to respond to the claim, if they do not, the family may file a lawsuit.
Dannenberg said the district has turned the claim over to its insurance company and is "waiting for direction."
tami.abdollah@latimes.com
