Parents of Washington boy killed by school bus to receive nearly $1.5 million

By Jim Greene

Published on March 09, 2006

Marcus Morgan, 13, was killed Dec. 15, 2003, when he was struck by a Clover Park School District bus while walking to Mann Middle School, in Lakewood, about 10 miles southwest of Tacoma. Marcus was crossing a street in a crosswalk, with a green light.

Bus driver Cathleen Ann Hentze was charged with vehicular manslaughter, but was acquitted in January 2005. Prosecutors alleged that she was under the influence of prescription drugs at the time of the accident. Her attorney said poor design of the bus mirrors prevented Hentze from seeing the victim. Plaintiffs' attorney Jeff Sadler said that, in spite of the acquittal, the school district has improved its monitoring of drivers who use prescription drugs, which he said was more important to the plaintiffs than monetary compensation.

Annette Mendoza, Marcus' mother and custodial parent, will receive $1 million. Robert Morgan of Santa Barbara, California, Marcus' father, will receive $275,000. They will also benefit from a $250,000 payment to the teen's estate for economic losses.

The settlement will be paid by the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool, a coop of school districts that share liability risks. Under the terms of the settlement, neither the district nor the driver admitted any fault.

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