FL S0048

Palm Beach County School Board is authorized and directed to appropriate $360,000 to compensate Ashraf Kamel ($180,000) and Marguerite Dimitri ($180,000) for the wrongful death of their 13-year-old son, Jean A. Pierre Kamel, in a 1997 school shooting.

Jean Kamel was shot and killed on January 27, 1997, in front of Conniston Middle School by fellow student Tronneal Mangum; the jury found the school board 80 percent liable and awarded $2 million in damages, later reduced to $1,602,400.

School board was negligent in failing to prevent the shooting despite prior notice of bullying complaints, knowledge of previous firearms on school property, lack of adequate security measures, and a school resource officer not at his assigned post.

Total compensation from the $360,000 appropriation, combined with the $200,000 previously paid by the school board under statutory limits, represents settlement of the parents' claim and constitutes sole compensation for all claims arising from the incident.

Attorney fees related to this claim are capped at 25 percent of the $360,000 award ($90,000 maximum).