Dolan Law obtained a $ 3.5 million dollar verdict against the Chicago Board of Education on behalf of a 17-year-old man, Tyrone Lawson, and his Estate, who died after being shot after a Chicago Public Schools Basketball game held at the Chicago State University Campus on January 16, 2013, between Morgan Park and Simeon.
On that evening, thousands of students and others came to the Chicago State University campus for a high-profile basketball game which featured many D-1 athletes, most notably Jabari Parker who now plays for the NBA. It was estimated that over 5000 students and fans attended. At the end of that game, a fight broke out between the two teams and security for both CPS and Chicago State rushed into the arena to break it up, leaving few security officers out in the campus as thousands poured out of the game. Fighting broke out as people exited the game, and Tyrone Lawson, who had been outside, was shot multiple times and died from his injuries.
Pamela Young, Tyrone’s mom, sued CPS and Ronnie Watson, Chief of Police at Chicago State University, claiming both defendants undertook a duty to Tyrone to implement reasonably safe security measures but failed to do so in a reckless disregard for Tyrone’s safety.
“When institutions promise to do a job, and keep students safe and don’t do their job, tragedy like this happens. A young man should not go to his high school basketball game and die”. Martin A. Dolan, attorney for the Estate of Tyrone Lawson and Pamela Young.
The two-week trial was before the Hon. Thomas Lipscomb in Cook County Circuit Court, Law Division, at the Daley Center. It took the seven-man five-woman- jury about seven hours of deliberation before reaching the verdict.