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A settlement has been reached between the University of Arizona and the family of a professor who was shot and killed on campus in 2022 by an expelled graduate student, according to Arizona Public Media.
The settlement agreement between the university, the state Board of Regents and the family of Thomas Meixner was announced in a university statement Tuesday.
The agreement includes an undisclosed amount of money and commitments to support the well-being of “those most affected” by the shooting and to provide the family with “a voice” in future safety-planning measures.
Meixner’s family originally filed a claim against the university in March as a precursor to a lawsuit, seeking $9 million.
“So often in the aftermath of school shootings, we learn all the ways that they could and should have been prevented,” Kathleen Meixner, the professor’s widow, said in a statement. “That is exactly what happened here.”
Murad Dervish had been expelled from the university and barred from campus after being accused of sending threatening text messages and emails to Meixner, in addition to a fellow student and other professors. Reports of continued threats prior to the shooting were sent to university departments, including the Office of General Counsel and the university police department, but they went unheeded.
Dervish now faces a first-degree murder charge. He is expected to go to trial later this year.
“Tom’s murder revealed missed opportunities, even though efforts by the Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences department were exemplary in communicating a credible threat and seeking help to protect the U of A community,” Kathleen Meixner said. “But we must look to the future, and with urgency, ensuring that tragedies like ours do not happen to others.”
