The father of a Cornell student, who killed himself after jumping off a bridge in Ithaca last year, has filed a lawsuit against the university and the city seeking $180 million in damages.
The suit alleges the school should have taken more precautions to prevent suicide in the Gorges, according to the Cornell Daily Sun:
The suit says that the “campus area became known as an iconic spot for ending one’s life” after 27 people jumped to their deaths from the bridges between 1990 and 2010.
The lawsuit alleges that Cornell and the city “were negligent, careless and reckless in failing to provide for safety and protection for vulnerable or impulsive individuals.” It also names President David Skorton, Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy ’73, Gannett Director of Mental Health Initiatives Tim Marchell ’82 and Gannett Associate Director Gregory Eells as defendants.
Cornell and Ithaca knew the lack of suicide barriers on bridges posed a risk, the lawsuit contends, but they did not act to prevent students from killing themselves.
After a series of suicides in late 2009 and 2010, the school constructed additional barriers on the bridges over the gorges.
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