Attorneys for the two Virginia Tech
victims’ families who sued the school for failing to warn that a killer was on
the loose on April 16, 2007, have appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court to
reinstate school President Steger as a defendant.
There
are, however, serious questions whether the families have a chance. The Virginia
court system is politicized, and judges seem to care more about ideology than
about truth.
Unlike
other states’ Supreme Courts, Virginia’s highest court usually rules based on
the far right ideological premise that organizations, businesses, and
government agencies have absolutely no obligation to warn despite overwhelming
evidence of imminent violence. The need-to-warn concept is “foreseeablility.” Other
states’ courts recognize it; Virginia’s supreme court usually doesn’t.
The
plaintiffs’ lawyers correctly argue that Steger has not been truthful in
recounting April 16, 2007.
Following the shooting, Steger hired a crisis-management firm. That team
prepared Steger for a Meet the Press interview that aired on September 23, 2007
in which he said a suspect was taken into custody after the dormitory double
homicide—two hours before the Norris Hall massacre. Steger’s words were a lie. If
Steger will lie on national television, can we believe anything he says?
Evidence
in court documents, in the Governor’s Review Panel Report, and Steger’s own
words show that he has repeatedly been less than candid and frequently untruthful.
Virginia
judges are appointed by the state legislature. Brutally powerful right-wing
politicians tried to derail the families’ lawsuit. These same politicians will work
behind-the-scenes to ensure Steger is not held accountable.
When
I wrote the book on Virginia’s first school shooting at the Appalachian School
of Law, our Kilmarnock lawyer asked me, “How many corrupt judges have you
uncovered?” I hope none of those, or like-minded, judges are on the Virginia
Supreme Court.
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