On the anniversary of the tragic killing of University of Utah athlete Lauren McCluskey, her parents, Jill and Matt McCluskey, along with the university, declared a $10.5 million resolution in a legal case against the institution. Furthermore, the school will contribute a $3 million gift to the Lauren McCluskey Foundation.
University of Utah President Ruth V. Watkins expressed during a press conference on Thursday that if these employees had received more comprehensive training and guidelines to direct their actions, the university believes they would have been more prepared to safeguard Lauren. Watkins admitted, “Consequently, we have let Lauren and her family down.” Watkins further stated, “The university recognizes and sincerely apologizes for mishandling Lauren’s case and acknowledges that, during that period, its employees failed to fully comprehend and respond suitably to Lauren’s circumstances.”
Lauren McCluskey was found dead in a car parked near a residential hall on campus in October 2018. Allegedly, her former boyfriend Melvin Rowland shot and killed her before taking his own life on the same night.
The police reported that Rowland, a registered sex offender who had a criminal history including a conviction in 2004, had lied about his identity and had a brief relationship with McCluskey. After their relationship ended, Rowland stalked and harassed her, leading McCluskey to report him to the university police.
In June, the McCluskeys initiated a second legal action claiming that the university breached the provisions of the state constitution, ultimately resulting in the resolution. The legal complaint asserts that during the period preceding Lauren’s tragic homicide, she endured “sexual and physical mistreatment, persistent surveillance, and menacing behavior from her perpetrator,” and that the authorities “neglected and evaded her pleas for assistance.”
According to the complaint, Lauren and her acquaintances conveyed instances of oppressive conduct to university authorities along with their concerns of aggression. The complaint also asserts that the university officials disregarded her appeals for assistance.
In a January 2019 interview with ABC News, Lauren’s parents stated that the university did not properly address her complaints.
Matt McCluskey informed ABC News that the individuals discovered his criminal record. They appeared uninterested in investigating further into the identity of this individual who had falsified information regarding his age, name, and … He was a convicted sex offender.
“Her father remarked,” they ought to have conducted an inquiry. “We wouldn’t be present in this place today.” And it would … They would have swiftly discovered his parole status in a single phone conversation.
As per law enforcement, Rowland kidnapped Lauren McCluskey and fatally shot her inside her vehicle, all while she was conversing with her mother over the phone, three days after the incident. As stated by her parents, on October 12, 2018, Lauren McCluskey approached the university police, and later on October 19, she sought assistance from the Salt Lake City police.
In the settlement terms of the McCluskey family, which includes a payment of $10.5 million in early 2021, there will be a donation of $3 million to Lauren McCluskey’s foundation by March 31, 2021. Additionally, the indoor track for the university’s field and track team will be renamed the McCluskey Center for Prevention and Violence.
The compensation to the family will be processed via the university’s risk management organization and insurance provider.
The university has introduced plans to implement changes to campus safety, including a 13 million dollar building for the police department and the school, since McCluskey’s passing two years ago.
The McCluskey family initially initiated a lawsuit for wrongful death and negligence in the state court. In June 2019, they sued the University of Utah, certain staff members, and the state of Utah in federal court, seeking $56 million in damages.
Lauren’s mother stated all the money from the settlement will go to support the Lauren McCluskey Foundation to help improve campus safety.
Jill McCluskey stated during the press conference that the settlement not only pays tribute to the way she lived but also addresses the circumstances of Lauren’s death, making it significant for various reasons.