Appeals court sides with Newtown in school shooting lawsuit

In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, a police officer leads two women and a child from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. AP file photo

HARTFORD, Connecticut — A Connecticut appeals court has upheld a lower court decision to throw out a lawsuit filed by the parents of two Sandy Hook School shooting victims against Newtown and its school district.

The appeals court agreed in a Friday ruling with the lower court’s determination that the town is protected by government immunity.

The wrongful death lawsuit was brought by the parents of Jesse Lewis and Noah Pozner. It alleged that school officials failed to follow a mandated security protocol and order a lockdown that may have saved lives immediately after the gunman shot his way into the school. They also faulted the school for having classroom doors that could be locked only from the hallway.

The town’s lawyers argued that ordering a lockdown was discretionary and school officials initially were not sure what was happening. /jpv