Family of shocked Dover student files suit against teacher, school district, city

Documents filed in Strafford County Superior Court on Friday indicate Robert and Sandra DuBois, parents of 18-year-old Kyle DuBois, are seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost income due to time away from work and other damages related to their son being shocked in his electrical trades class on March 11. The lawsuit claims DuBois critically injured himself because of his teacher Thomas Kelley's failure to properly warn of the dangers of electrical currents.

DuBois was hospitalized after receiving a serious electrical shock while in class on March 11. On a dare, DuBois clipped alligator clips to his nipples and received a severe shock that caused him to stagger and collapse, the lawsuit says.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100831/GJNEWS_01/708319900

I'm sorry, but I would expect ANY normal high school student to know completing a circuit by clamping your nipples and plugging the other end into a wall outlet would be a VERY BAD idea!

I am sorry if this offends anyone, but I am really frustrated by how many parents want to place blame on other people for things their own children have done. They are teaching them that they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions. He's 18, and doesn't know the dangers of electrical currents? Really? I have a three year old that at least knows not to touch outlets because they can give him "big owies".

I tend to agree with you both. An 18 year old is old enough to be held accountable for his own actions. This part of the article gave me pause though:

The lawsuit claims Kelley was negligent in that during more than one class session, he conducted experiments that belied the dangers of electrical currents. He had students hold hands in a semicircle, with students at either end of the chain holding an end of an electrical cord plugged into an ordinary household outlet, causing the current to flow through the students. The lawsuit alleges this "reckless" act on the teacher's part led DuBois to believe the transmission of an electrical current through a person by this activity caused only a tingling sensation.

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The teacher may have given the students the impression that the outlets in class were not dangerous.

Kelley also told the students the classroom was fitted with protected circuits at the workstations to prevent harmful or fatal shocks, the lawsuit says.

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If true, the lawsuit may have some merit.

Tuffy said:

I tend to agree with you both. An 18 year old is old enough to be held accountable for his own actions. This part of the article gave me pause though:



The teacher may have given the students the impression that the outlets in class were not dangerous.



If true, the lawsuit may have some merit.

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Nope, not buying it. If someone says hey that gun isn't loaded, and some idiot picks it up, puts it in his mouth and pulls the trigger. It's no ones fault but the idiot that stuck it in his own mouth!


and I would bet, THIS nipple clamped idiot wasn't paying attention during the lecture and experiment.

Linda7NJ said:

Nope, not buying it. If someone says hey that gun isn't loaded, and some idiot picks it up, puts it in his mouth and pulls the trigger. It's no ones fault but the idiot that stuck it in his own mouth!


and I would bet, THIS nipple clamped idiot wasn't paying attention during the lecture and experiment.

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Yeah, I tend to agree. I have a hard time believing that an 18 year old doesn't know that this is dangerous.