Sovereign immunity, a legal concept that protects state officials from suit under certain circumstances, is probably the reason that the University of Alabama and its officials have not been named so far in the UAH lawsuits.
Victims and their families are not likely to get much money out of Bishop and her husband. Any significant compensation almost certainly will have to come from the university or individuals who work at the university. Based on the Virginia Tech case, it's unlikely that Kharbari will remain the only named official in the UAH lawsuits.
The D.C. law firm apparently is willing to settle with schools short of a lawsuit, and it's possible that discussions already have taken place with UA officials. The filings of lawsuits might indicate that the university is digging in its heels so far. But playing legal hardball with families who have seen loved ones killed or injured on UA property could turn into a public-relations nightmare.
Worse for the university, perhaps, is the thought that any of the lawsuits could advance to the discovery stage. If that happens, the public could wind up finding out what happened with Amy Bishop's tenure process in the weeks and months leading up to the shooting.
As we reported previously, evidence strongly suggests that Bishop, while she had a prickly personality, met the criteria for tenure:
Reports about Bishop's teaching ability are a mixed bag. Some students rated her highly, finding her to be insightful, effective, and caring. Others complained, saying she lectured mostly from the textbook, gave unfair tests, and had a distant manner.
But Bishop's record as a researcher, alone, indicates that she probably met the criteria for tenure. UAH recently received an Area Research Enhancement Award (AREA) from the National Institues of Health, a grant designed to promote research at universities that have not traditionally received much NIH support. Who brought home that major grant? Amy Bishop.
We also have reported on signs of irregularities in the way Bishop's candidacy for tenure was handled. At least one prominent UAH alumnus has said the university deserves some blame for the shooting, saying it tends to treat faculty and staff like "expendable livestock."
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