A judge in the Ohio Court of Claims ruled in favor of an Ohio University student who had his belongings stolen from his dorm room during winter break.
OU must pay freshman Drew Fisher $984 to cover the cost of his stolen belongings and the court's filing fee, according to court documents. OU also must pay the court costs.
Some time between Nov. 23, 2009, and Jan. 3, 2010, someone entered Fisher's dorm room in James Hall and stole his camera, speaker system, shoes, clothing and several DVDs.
In his complaint, Fisher wrote, Maintenance personnel have recently inspected our door lock and confirmed that the 'anti-pick' device on the lock was not properly installed.
OU did not contest Fisher's claim, and there was no sign of forced entry, according to court documents.
The court found OU liable for the theft because it, exercised control over the locking mechanism on (the) plaintiff's dormitory room door.
Fisher's roommate Matt Kvalheim also had several items stolen. The Court of Claims ordered OU to pay Kvalheim $534.
Both Kvalheim and Fisher wrote in their complaints that other students had been allowed to stay in James Hall during winter break, but the hall's residents had not been informed of that before the break.
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Elizabeth Lundblad
