Cheerleader Dies, Friend's Mom Pays

Cheerleader Dies, Friend's Mom Pays

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

filed under: tween & teen logic

Legal ruling makes parents think twice.

In 2004, mom Susanne Sadler traveled to Hawaii with her daughter and two other cheerleaders, who were chosen to perform at the Hula Bowl halftime show. The night they arrived, cheerleader Lauren Crossan, 18, got intoxicated and fell off the hotel balcony naked to her death.

Now, an arbitrator has determined that Sadler was partially responsible for Crossan's death and ordered her to pay $690,000 to Crossan's parents and her estate.

Although Natalee Holloway's parents did not sue the seven chaperones on Natalee's 2005 class trip to Aruba, they certainly could have -- and this has also given parents pause.

Many school officials worry that cases like these will force parents to reconsider chaperoning class trips--particularly since they might just have a legal liability if something goes wrong.

Before you chaperone, consider:

- if your school provides liability insurance for trips to protect parents.
- if your homeowners policy covers accidents away from the home.
- what the school's expectations are of the chaperones and students while on a trip.

When chaperoning, be sure to:

- enforce the rules established by the trip's sponsor or school.
- use common-sense parenting skills.
- be vigilant about watching for potential dangers.

If you're chaperoning a local field trip, click here for additional safety tips.

Would you chaperone a class trip?

9 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

Wow. this seriously makes me worried to chaperone in the future. what happens if a six year old sneaks off… or a 12 year old falls down? this woman is responsible for the death of a girl who was legally an adult????

- Kim

Posted 06/18/08 02:41 PM

I don’t remember this story, but was the mom sharing a room with the girls or had they snuck out and got alcohol? If they were all sharing a room, then she would have to of noticed that they were drinking, which would make her responsible since the girl was underage. But, there are answers that would change my opinion. I don’t think someone should be held responsible unless they are really being negligent.

- Kristen

Posted 06/18/08 04:03 PM

The parents who started this law suit should be ashamed of themselves! They sound like they were just trying to make a buck off their childs death. How shameless can you get!! Lawsuits like that just make me soooo angry. Unless this woman held the adult girl down and dumped alchohol down her throat she is not responsible. When are we parents going to start holding our young adult children responsible for their own behavior? If my children make a bad choice I never call up the adults they went with to ask why they did not stop them. I sit my child down and hold them responsible for their own behavior. I hate that this family does not have another chance to teach their child better but that is no excuse for just blatantly hurting another family just trying to make a buck.

- momof9

Posted 06/18/08 07:02 PM

This is a tragic story!!! As for Natalee Holloway the chaperones were technically called facilitators and therefore not a babysitter.

- Concerned

Posted 06/18/08 09:05 PM

cheerleaders are boozers and sluts!

- ????

Posted 06/19/08 12:35 PM

???? that is really stereotypical of you. Don’t be judgemental, it gets you nowhere in life.

- Kristen

Posted 06/19/08 02:16 PM

Regardless of whether the woman shared a room with the girls or not, the girl was 18 years old and responsible for her own actions. I am sure the parents who filed and won the suit did so in a grief stricken state, but those are the times that you need to step back and grip some reality. She was 18, responsible for herself, and apparently, not brought up any better than that.

- Ginger

Posted 07/14/08 02:54 PM

Well of course they were in a state of grief..Their DAUGHTER DIED!!!! I don’t know whether or not it was that lady’s fault, but I do know that when you lose someone you love suddenly, you don’t have any closure and them sueing (whether you agree or not) is their way of trying to right the wrong they feel. Noone is perfect not even GRIEVING PARENTS!!!

- Anonymous

Posted 10/21/08 06:17 PM

Wow this is hard to comprehend. I have 4 children from teen to young adult. Kids are not held responsible for there actions. Parents at school are to quick to say “there child wasn t involved or that they didn’t do it”. My children are very involved in school sports cheerleading and football. I have been sleeping with 1 eye open for about ten years. This is how they learn by making mistakes and learning from them. I pray everyday that by the restrictions I put on them, the life lessons that I hope they have learned and the biggy the hopefulness that I have taught them enough that common sense comes out when try to make a choice that will effect there life! I have an expression I use “Sink or Swim it is your choice” Suggestions: Parents talk about everything, ask questions and don’t blame yourself for there mistakes by doing this they will never take responsibility for there own mistakes. My kids are my life but my job as a parent is to make a productive and happy young adult.

- debbie

Posted 03/10/09 08:02 AM