Comment by: cecilia devia

Dear Judge Tom, my daughter accidentally cracked her classroom window..after lunch all the kids throw their lunch bags on the ground next to the classroom..unfortunately, hers hit the window and apparently cracked it. We meet with the principal, my daughter apologized and everyone knew it was not intentional at all..by the way she is in fourth grade. My daughter happily agreed to do “community” servic around school as a consequence. Now I get an email that “typically” the school as the parents to pick up the tab for this type of damage. Shouldn’t public school insurance pay for this? Secondly, we already agreed on how we would pay back.. the money they are asking would be a harship on my family. What should we do?

Thank you for your help.
Dear Cecilia: Ask for a meeting with the principal so you can further discuss and let him/her know what you have said here – you all already agreed to community service and that it would be financially difficult for your family to pay at this time. Who is responsible for the damage would depend on your state’s laws as well as the school’s insurance policy. You would have to check with them to see whether or not this type of damage is covered. Keep in mind that there are parental responsibility laws in every state which hold parents responsible for damage caused by their kids. If a meeting with the principal does not resolve the issue, then you could seek additional help/advice from an attorney in your area who handles school/education law. Many attorneys offer a free initial consulation. Good luck to you and your family. Please help us help more teens by voting for AsktheJudge to win a FedEx small business grant!
(This is information only – not legal advice.)