TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The family of the University of Arizona professor shot and killed on campus is filing a $9 million damage claim against the Arizona Board of Regents—the controlling authority for U of A.
Atmospherics Science Department Head Thomas Meixner was shot and killed in October. Former graduate student Murad Dervish is charged with the killing. Dervish had been barred from the campus after being accused a threatening behavior.
RELATED: UArizona President to address campus safety Monday
According to Meixner family attorney Greg Kuykendall, another university that Dervish attended in California had warned the U of A of Dervish's violent history long before he came to Tucson. Kuykendall says the university had plenty of opportunities to treat Dervish as a serious threat—and protect people from him.
"This was a poster boy of violence that was promising to happen. He repeatedly told them what he was going to do," says Kuykendall. "In fact, Tom Meixner's dying words were 'I knew you were going to do this to me'."
The claim for damages is not a lawsuit. The Board of Regents has 60 days to reach an agreement with the Meixner family, or the family can go ahead with a suit.
——-
Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
