Key Takeaways
- Campbell Hall, a private K-12 school in Studio City, is being sued by the parents of 15-year-old Cosmo Silverman, who was fatally pinned between two vehicles in the school’s parking lot.
- The lawsuit alleges that the school failed to make safety improvements to the parking lot despite previous complaints from parents about the handling of student dismissal.
- The school has since made changes to the parking lot, including the installation of a fence, a foot pathway, and a stop sign, in an effort to improve safety.
- The lawsuit claims that the school’s protocol for school pickup violated state regulations and that students were forced to walk through lines of moving traffic with no pedestrian paths.
- The incident has sparked a conversation about the importance of prioritizing student safety and taking proactive measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Introduction to the Incident
Campbell Hall, an elite private school in Studio City, is facing a lawsuit from the parents of 15-year-old Cosmo Silverman, who tragically lost his life in a parking lot accident earlier this year. The incident occurred on June 4, when Cosmo was struck by a green Rivian SUV and pinned against a white SUV as he was crossing the parking lot minutes after the end of school. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that the school failed to make necessary safety improvements to the parking lot, despite previous complaints from parents about the handling of student dismissal.
Allegations Against the School
The lawsuit claims that the school was aware of the potential dangers in the parking lot, but failed to take adequate measures to address them. According to the suit, students were forced to regularly walk through lines of moving traffic in the parking lot with no pedestrian paths, and the school’s protocol for school pickup violated state regulations. The suit also alleges that parents had raised concerns about the configuration of the school’s parking lot during pickup times, but their concerns were ignored. On the day of the incident, the Los Angeles Police Department received a call at 3:10 p.m. regarding a vehicle-on-pedestrian collision at the school, and Cosmo was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Changes Made by the School
Since Cosmo’s death, the school has made several changes to the parking lot in an effort to improve safety. These changes include the installation of a fence separating the pickup line from a nearby lawn, a foot pathway for pedestrians, and a stop sign in front of the pathway. The suit alleges that these changes would have prevented the tragedy from occurring if they had been implemented before June 4, 2025. The suit states that "Had these basic safety measures been implemented before June 4, 2025, Cosmo and his classmates would not have been able to walk in between the vehicular traffic waiting in the pickup line at the end of school, and this tragedy would have been averted."
The Decision to File a Lawsuit
The decision to file a lawsuit was made after Cosmo’s parents were "stonewalled" by the school’s insurance company, and they were unable to reach a resolution. According to Robert Glassman, an attorney representing Cosmo’s parents, "The lawsuit wasn’t filed out of anger, but out of necessity." The suit is seeking damages for the loss of Cosmo’s life, as well as for the emotional distress and suffering caused to his parents. The lawsuit is also seeking to hold the school accountable for its alleged failure to prioritize student safety.
Conclusion and Reflection
The incident at Campbell Hall serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of prioritizing student safety and taking proactive measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. The lawsuit highlights the need for schools to take seriously the concerns of parents and students, and to take prompt action to address potential safety hazards. As the lawsuit moves forward, it is likely to spark a wider conversation about the importance of student safety and the need for schools to take a proactive approach to preventing accidents and ensuring the well-being of their students.