Student travel is an amazing educational experience for students, but they and their supervisors need to be cautious about the places they travel to and what they do there.
In the case Munn v. The Hotchkiss School, a student traveled to China and came back with tick-borne encephalitis. The jury found that the school was liable for the student’s illness since it was a school-sponsored trip. It was the school’s duty to protect the student from health and safety threats. In addition, there were two Centers for Disease Control advisories that warned them of the his disease, but the school ignored their warning.
Another case was Katz v. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism where a student’s knee was injured on a trip to Israel. According to the student, treatment for her knee was refused. She needed physical therapy which she did not receive.
A third case was Brenner v. National Outdoor Leadership School where a student drowned on a school trip to India. On a hike in the Himalayas, the student slipped and fell off the trail, and his body was never found. As a result, there were many complaints of negligence and lack of proper supervision.
Although school trips are very beneficial, supervisors need to understand the importance of the safety and health of the students on the trips.
http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202749393180/Providing-Student-Travel-Programs-Risky-Business
