By J. Rock Palermo, Attorney, and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Hazing incidents continue to be reported in Louisiana and other States across the nation. Unfortunately, high school and college students in clubs, organizations, fraternities, and even marching bands feel a need to inflict physical harm and / or humiliation as pre-requisites to get initiated or get membership in the group. It was recently reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that a student is suing Southern University located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over a hazing incident that took place off campus. Southern University will argue that the incident took place off campus and that the University did not sponsor or have knowledge about the incident. The attorney for the victim may argue that there was a lack of supervision by the University and that the University knew or should have had knowledge of past incidents of hazing yet took no action to intervene. It is by no means an easy case to pursue on behalf of the victim. It will be interesting to see how the court case turns out and what information is obtained through the court case.
In Mississippi and other states, people run businesses out of their homes. Some businesses are day care centers. Typically, caring individuals and family operate home based day care centers. Unfortunately, there are other day care operators who put children at danger by running drug operations and conducting other illegal activities at the day care center. Recently, drugs and pornography were discovered at a home which also served as a day care center for your children. Investigators and authorities found chemicals and meth lab materials as well as needles and other gear used to manufacture meth. It is well know that meth is highly toxic and labs are high flammable. As such, the possession and / or manufacturing of meth at or near a day care center definitely poses a health hazard to children.
A former Wyandotte school teacher is facing criminal molestation charges. In Ottawa County (Oklahoma), District Attorney Eddie Wyant stated that the charges stem from molestation allegations against two former students of Brian Matthew Rash, now age 38. Mr. Rash was arrested in Missouri and will be extradited back to Oklahoma to face these charges. According to a news story posted at the 
In Minnesota and other States, there is a consistent problem with DUI incidents. Tragically, many DUI incidents cause serious personal injuries and even death of innocent people and children. In every DUI incident, there is a danger or risk to any children who is in the vehicle or near the vehicle as it is being driven. Parents especially should consider the best interests of the child when getting behind the wheel. The safety of the child should always take precedence over the convenience or selfishness of the parent especially when it comes to drinking and driving. In West Hennepin, Minnesota, a mother was arrested after a complaint was called in about her driving to the West Hennepin Public Safety Department for poor driving. When police attempted to stop or pull over the driver (Monica Say – age 29) – she refused and kept on driving another 4 to 5 miles. Along this dangerous drive, the chase and / or Ms. Say’s driving almost caused other automobile accidents. It was later determined that Ms. Say’s blood alcohol level (BAC) was .17 which amounted to in excess of two times the legal limit in Minnesota. Ms. Say was transporting two children during this dangerous drive who were 4 years old and 2 years old. The news report also stated that Ms. Say was in possession of marijuana and an open bottle of rum in a diaper bag. Ms. Say was arrested at the scene by the police. You can read more about this story at 
In Fresno County, California, CNN reported the horrible circumstances of the death of a 4 year old boy who ultimately was found in a dryer of a nearby apartment. Alex Christopher Mercato, who was only 4 at the time, was molested, sodomized, and drowned in a bathtub by a 14 year old California boy. The 14 year old (Raul Renato Castro) has been charged as an adult. Raul told police that he killed Alex because Christopher said that he was going to tell on Raul for molesting Alex. Raul faces a criminal sentence of up to 32 years if convicted due to his age and California penal / sentencing laws.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated that one in 150 children in the United States has some form of Autism. In Massachusetts that number is closer to one in 132. In the State of Massachusetts, autistic children under the age of three are currently are eligible to receive 40 hours of therapy through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s early intervention services. But after that, the family is entirely dependent on their local school district. For children who need more help than the school district can provide, the family is on their own to find and pay for needed services.
Interstate 35 is a busy highway connecting the Twin Cities to northern points of Minnesota. Eric Sprouse, age 19, lost control of his pick-up truck and swerved into oncoming traffic while travelling northbound on Interstate 35. The driver and a young child in the other car were both killed and pronounced dead at the scene. Sprouse suffered life threatening injuries and was taken to a local trauma center by helicopter. His passenger also suffered injuries and was hospitalized.
Taking care of a child with disabilities can be overwhelming. For many parents, that means they are unable or otherwise neglect planning for their child’s financial future. There are nearly 5 million children in the United States suffering from disabilities, and advanced healthcare technology allows many of them to outlive their parents. If the parents fail to plan for the care of their child after their own passing, that can place a heavy burden on other family members or may leave the child without any support at all. That makes the need for financial educational and planning resources for this group more critical than ever.