University of Virginia student Casey Schulman was killed while studying abroad with Semester at Sea last year. Her father, David Schulman, is now suing over her death, an article from The Daily Progress reported.
“The lawsuit, filed this month in federal court in Miami by David Schulman, the father of Casey Schulman, alleges negligence by the Semester at Sea program, sponsored by University of Virginia, and several others, seeking funeral expenses and compensatory damages,” the article reported.
Casey was only 22 years old with a bright and promising future ahead of her. She was snorkeling close to Mero Beach near Roseau, Dominica, when a small dive boat backed over her, killing her instantly. More than six months later, Dominican authorities charged Andrew Armour, the boat’s captain, with manslaughter.
ClearCause Founder Sheryl Hill was quoted in a USA Today article highlighting Casey’s tragic story and many dangers of studying abroad. Sheryl believes the study abroad industry should be required to report their safety record publicly. "Students and families have every right to know the safety record of the program they're entrusting their future and their life to," Sheryl said. “Most come back safe is not good enough.”
University of Virginia has been the academic sponsor of Semester at Sea since 2006, a study abroad program taking students around the world on a 590-foot ship. A University of Virginia spokesperson said, “Casey’s trip was organized by students outside of Semester at Sea and was not a Semester at Sea event.”
In 1996, A Semester at Sea bus crash tragically killed four Semester at Sea students, Jenna Druck, Sara Schewe, Virginia Amoto and Cherese Laulhere. A wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of those young lives resulted in punitive damages and criminal negligence. Semester at Sea has been banned from ports because of rowdiness and has come under scrutiny for being a ‘four month bender’.
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