A $13 million settlement has been approved by a judge in a lawsuit regarding an unannounced active shooter drill at a Michigan psychiatric hospital for children, which terrified both the kids and staff. The drill, which took place on December 21, 2022, involved someone at the front desk declaring through the speaker system that two armed men were inside the Hawthorn Center and that shots had been fired. This led to a state of panic where people were hiding under desks, barricading doors, and trying to protect the children.
As a result of the settlement, each of the fifty children at the hospital will receive roughly $60,000, while staff members will receive varying amounts based on their trauma exam scores. It is reported that 90 staff members will receive an average of more than $50,000, with two dozen others receiving smaller amounts. The state acknowledged that the drill was a bad decision and caused harm to many individuals. The settlement was reached as a way to compensate those affected by the incident.
During the drill, police were not informed and did not know that it was just a drill. As a result, dozens of officers responded to 911 calls and arrived at the hospital with body armor and high-powered weapons, expecting a real threat. The two individuals who were instructed to pose as shooters were eventually captured, but they were found to be unarmed. The settlement was approved by Court of Claims Judge James Redford on October 4, with more than $3 million going towards attorneys in the case.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Human Services, Lynn Sutfin, stated that they believed it was in the best interest of all parties involved to settle the matter. She expressed regret that the patients, staff, and community were negatively affected by the incident that occurred in December 2022. The $13 million settlement aims to provide compensation to those who experienced distress and harm as a result of the unannounced active shooter drill at the Hawthorn Center, a state-run psychiatric hospital for children in suburban Detroit.
