$13 Million Settlement Reached with Michigan Department of of Health and Human Services in Class Action Re: Unannounced Shooter Drill that Terrorized Children & Staff at State Psychiatric Hospital
Attorneys: Michael Pitt, Robin Wagner, and Beth Rivers
Learn more about this historic settlement agreement and sign up for more information at HawthornClassAction.com.
NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The state has agreed to pay $13 million to patients and staff of a state child psychiatric hospital who say they were terrorized by an unannounced active shooter drill that gained national attention.
The Hawthorn Center was a state-run psychiatric hospital for children in Northville Township, Michigan (the facility has since closed). On Dec. 21, 2022, the center conducted an active shooter drill. Patients and most of the staff were not informed ahead of time. Four law enforcement agencies who responded to panicked 911 calls from inside the hospital weren’t notified of the drill, either and responded as if the threat was real.
WDIV Channel 4. See additional Click-on-Detroit reporting about the Hawthorn Center.
From the Detroit Free Press:
$13M settlement proposed after unannounced active intruder drill at former youth psychiatric hospital
Employees and parents of children at a former youth psychiatric hospital who sued after an unannounced active intruder drill before Christmas 2022 have reached a proposed settlement agreement with the Michigan health department for $13 million.
Nearly $2.9 million would be allocated for the youth patients and nearly $5.8 million for the employees who were at the Hawthorn Center in Wayne County during the unannounced drill on Dec. 21, 2022, according to the proposed settlement agreement filed Wednesday in the Michigan Court of Claims.
Past coverage of our clients and our work to bring justice to the patients and staff of the Hawthorn Center can be found here:
Click on Detroit: Former employees, parent of patient speak out about unannounced Hawthorn Center active shooter drill
Detroit Free Press: Hawthorn Center worker sues, says he was tapped to play active shooter in unannounced drill
Detroit News: Hawthorn Center unannounced active shooter drill left patients, staff traumatized, lawsuit says
Michigan Radio: Parents and employees sue after surprise active-shooter drill at MI youth psychiatric hospital
New York Post: Hospital worker playing gunman during active-shooter drill cuffed, held at gunpoint by police: report