Jurors in West Palm Beach have awarded a mentally challenged girl $1.7 million for the trauma suffered when she was raped on a school bus in 2007.
The jury deliberated a little more than two hours Wednesday. But the Palm Beach Post reports the girl's attorneys must now persuade the Florida Legislature to lift a cap on jury awards. That's because under state law, government agencies in 2007 could only be forced to pay $100,000 for injuries resulting in their wrongdoing.
Jurors rejected the school district's argument that the girl was too young and too mentally disabled to understand what a 15-year-old disabled student did to her.
After the incident, the school district decided that younger students could no longer ride on buses with older children.
Comments
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.