school trip accident france

Jessica Lawson drowning: Three British teachers found not guilty over girl's pontoon death during school trip in France

Jessica Lawson, 12, drowned after becoming trapped when a pontoon capsized during a school trip in July 2015.

Wednesday 5 October 2022 18:00, UK

Three British teachers have been found not guilty by a court in France over the death of a 12-year-old girl on a school trip.

Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers, from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, were accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence after Jessica Lawson drowned in July 2015.

Jessica, who was the youngest child on the trip, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges.

The trio have now been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Palais de Justice in the town of Tulle.

Leo Lemaire, the lifeguard on duty at the time of the incident, and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty.

Earlier, French prosecutors argued the teachers and the lifeguard should be jailed for three years.

Jessica's father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the not guilty verdicts were announced, with both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers breaking down in tears.

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Giving the judgments, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, said of the incident: "The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green.

"There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over. We don't know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over.

"There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent - therefore you are found not guilty."

One of the lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Layne, Anis Harabi, had said Jessica's death was an accident with no "culprits" - adding his client should not be expected to be a "clairvoyant".

Mr Layne did not believe it was dangerous because the swimming zone was "supervised", according to Mr Harabi.

Teacher 'thought pontoon was safety feature'

Mr Layne's other lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, said the teachers acted "simultaneously" when they realised Jessica was missing and that the trio were surveying "tirelessly".

The trial heard how Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers began to "panic" after noticing Jessica was missing, with both becoming emotional on the witness stand.

Mr Layne said he thought the pontoon was a safety feature and saw no signs of distress when he looked at the lifeguard after it capsized.

The youngster's mother, Brenda Lawson, said her family had been through "torturous suffering" since her daughter's death, describing her as "full of fun, laughter and care".

Jessica's swimming should have been monitored with vigilance - prosecutor

Prosecutor Myriam Soria said: "Jessica Lawson was a good swimmer. She was a little girl. Her swimming should have been monitored with vigilance."

Ms Soria said none of the teachers could see where Jessica was during the swim due to a lack of surveillance.

Addressing the pontoon itself, the prosecutor said the local authority "knew about instability and knew about its age."

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Family of girl, 12, who died on school trip to France still waiting for answers

Jessica Lawson drowned while on a school trip to France back in 2015 and as her distraught parents still await answers, they have opened up about the devastating toll the tragedy has taken

• 14:06, 22 Jul 2021
• Updated 15:01, 22 Jul 2021

The family of a tragic 12-year-old who drowned on a school trip say their lives are no longer recognisable six years on from losing their child.

Jessica Lawson died in a lake while on a five-day trip to France in July 2015 and her parents are still waiting for answers.

Three teachers who were on a trip in the Massif Central region are to face questioning in a French court, HullLive report .

The children were given the go-ahead by school staff to swim in the lake, which had a floating pontoon which they were jumping off.

But the pontoon overturned, and unknown to everyone Jessica did not re-surface and was submerged for several minutes before she was found and brought out by a lifeguard.

She was airlifted to a hospital in Limoges but died the next day, before her distraught parents Tony and Brenda were able to arrive.

Now her father has spoken about the huge impact that day has had on their lives - and how the family fell apart.

They didn't just have to cope with losing their child, but explained how friends turned their backs and the business he built went under.

Customers of Tony's once-thriving removals firm didn't want to "bother him".

Work dried up, the business collapsed, and he couldn't pay the mortgage.

The devastated dad claims he could "clear whole aisles in Morrisons" as people tried to avoided him.

Tony told HullLive : "I had a successful business, and a nice house in leafy Kirk Ella, my wife was a civil servant of 30 years.

"This devastated our lives, our business, our daughters. Our lives are unrecognisable.

"My wife didn't get out of bed for nine months. She didn't open the curtains of our home and she sat in a corner, and then one day she said 'I've booked a flight to Portugal and I'm going'.

"If she hadn't gone to Portugal, my wife probably wouldn't be alive. The pain of living there and expecting Jess to come home from school, and seeing all the children in the village in their school uniforms, then being ignored by people in the street...

"My business collapsed and I struggled to pay the mortgage and I had to sell the family home."

He added: "I decided to come to Portugal too, but I had no job, no money, and I couldn't speak the language. I bought a caravan and we lived on it on a bit of land. I had to cash my pension and we had to beg and borrow off friends to try and live this different life.

"People ask if I have a nice life here. Yes we have a nice life, but how we got here... well, we just say it was not under the best circumstances. We've moved a long, long way from those leafy suburbs and have a completely different life now.

"We live very simply, hand to mouth. There are few very jobs in Portugal. I had one in a supermarket but that went during Covid. There are even fewer jobs that are English-speaking. I cut hedges, and do odd jobs here and there.

"People don't realise this. A friend said someone he knew said to him in the pub 'oh they got a big compensation pay-out and live in a five-bed villa in Portugal don't they?'.

"I was a removal guy with a relatively good business and three lovely daughters, the last thing I expected was to be living in Portugal. But now I'd have to be dragged back to the UK kicking and screaming.

"People we meet here say 'what brings you to the Algarve?'. We have learnt to say to them, that that's a story for another time. It becomes very, very exhausting telling people again and again."

The couple set up the Jessica Lawson Foundation and offer bereaved parents the chance to have a short break where they facilitate trips and expenses through their charity.

Tony added: "Just about everything we do is for Jess, we hope that she's aware of where we are in the world and what we are doing in her name. It's the only way we can keep her name and memory alive.

"We've been left to pick up the pieces after six years, but we've come a long way.

"Our lives are no longer recognisable, we've lost everything. We just want some form of apology or acknowledgement."

MORE ON Education Hospitals Pensions Schools Civil servants

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British teachers found not guilty over death of girl, 12, on France school trip

Lifeguard on duty at time also cleared of any wrongdoing, article bookmarked.

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Three British teachers have been found not guilty of the equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence at a French court following the death of a schoolgirl.

In July 2015, Jessica Lawson, 12, drowned in a lake on a school trip near Limoges after a pontoon capsized.

The teachers – Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers – who were employed by Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, were cleared of any wrongdoing at a trial at the Palais de Justice in the town of Tulle in central France.

Leo Lemaire, who was a lifeguard on duty at the time, and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty.

Jessica’s father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the verdicts were announced while Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers broke down into tears.

Before the verdicts were announced, Mr Lawson left the courtroom after hearing Ms Stathers’ lawyer Stephane Babonneau say that the teachers had felt pain “similar” to that of Jessica’s family over her death.

Jessica’s mother, Brenda Lawson, told the court she expected the teachers to have “respect and integrity” during the trial.

Ms Lewis was offered the chance to say something before the head of jurisdiction in Tulle adjourned proceedings, where the PE teacher said the pain is “different to what the family experiences”.

Mr Layne and Ms Stathers declined to say anything when offered the opportunity.

Ms Lewis’s legal representative, Florian Godest Le Gall, said the teachers’ reaction times were the shortest possible, adding that dynamically monitoring children does not mean looking at one student “every microsecond”.

Mr Godest Le Gall said the PE teacher “suffers under the weight of responsibility”.

One of the lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Layne, Anis Harabi, said Jessica‘s death was an accident with no “culprits” – adding that his client should not be expected to be a “clairvoyant”.

Mr Harabi said Mr Layne did not think it was dangerous because the swimming zone was “supervised”.

• Teachers felt pain ‘similar’ to family after girl, 12, drowned, lawyer claims
• Mother of girl, 12, expected teachers to have ‘integrity’ after pontoon death
• British teachers should be jailed after pontoon death, French prosecutors say
• Teacher admits not knowing swimming guidelines when girl drowned on school trip to France

Mr Layne’s other lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, said the teachers acted “simultaneously” when they realised Jessica was missing and that the trio were surveying “tirelessly”.

On Tuesday, French prosecutor Myriam Soria had recommended that Mr Layne, Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers, as well as lifeguard Leo Lemaire, be jailed for three years for their alleged part in Jessica’s death.

Ms Soria also advised that the local authority in the town of Liginiac should be fined €45,000.

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Three British teachers cleared of manslaughter over death of girl, 12, who drowned in lake on school trip to France

5 October 2022, 15:18 | Updated: 6 October 2022, 00:28

By Asher McShane

Three British teachers have been found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence at a French court following the death of a British 12-year-old who drowned in a lake while on a school trip.

Teachers Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers were cleared of the French equivalent of gross negligence manslaughter after the death of Jessica Lawson, 12, in July 2015.

The schoolgirl, from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges.

Giving her verdicts through a translator to the Palais de Justice in Tulle on Wednesday, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, said of the incident: "The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green.

"There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over.

"We don't know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over.

"There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent - therefore you are found not guilty."

Mr Layne told the court he thought the pontoon was a safety feature and saw no signs of distress when he looked at the lifeguard after it capsized.

A lawyer told the French court today that the teachers felt pain "similar" to her family.

The youngster's father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom on Wednesday after hearing Stephane Babonneau, acting on behalf of Ms Stathers, make the claim about how the teachers felt after the incident.

Read more: Schoolboy,14 stabbed to death in Gateshead named as boy, 14 and girl, 13, still quizzed in murder probe

Ms Lewis was offered the chance to say something before the head of jurisdiction in Tulle adjourned proceedings, where the PE teacher said the pain is "different to what the family experiences".

Mr Layne and Ms Stathers declined to say anything when offered the opportunity.

Ms Lewis's legal representative, Florian Godest Le Gall, said the teachers' reaction times were the shortest possible, adding that dynamically monitoring children does not mean looking at one student "every microsecond".

Mr Godest Le Gall said the PE teacher "suffers under the weight of responsibility".

One of the lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Layne, Anis Harabi, said Jessica's death was an accident with no "culprits" - adding that his client should not be expected to be a "clairvoyant".

Mr Harabi said Mr Layne did not think it was dangerous because the swimming zone was "supervised".

Mr Layne's other lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, said the teachers acted "simultaneously" when they realised Jessica was missing and that the trio were surveying "tirelessly".

The youngster's mother, Brenda Lawson, told the court she expected the teachers from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, to have "respect and integrity" during the trial.

Jessica's parents, who have followed proceedings through an interpreter, were cleared this afternoon.

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East Bay teacher, students injured in tour bus crash in France

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Updated on: June 19, 2022 / 5:58 AM PDT / CBS San Francisco

ALBANY -- An East Bay teacher and more than a dozen students were injured in a tour bus crash in France on Friday. 

Photos of the wreckage show damage to the front of the bus after it collided with a big rig.  Brandon Mercer's teen daughters Addison and Sydney were on that bus.

Mercer said it was a chain reaction crash a highway in southern France. 

"We got a call it was early in the morning on Friday. And it's one of those terrifying calls where your child is screaming and hysterical and you don't know what's going on and you try to get them to calm down," said Mercer. 

Both of his daughters are shaken and bruised. They were among 13 students who suffered injuries, some of them serious. In total, there were 37 people on board, most of them students who are about to start Albany High School in the fall.

The trip had been postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, so there were soon-to-be juniors on the trip as well. 

"My daughter says, 'My head was thrown into the seat in front of me, and then I slipped in the aisle, I stood up and clutched my arm rest and screamed and someone told me to be quiet, so I stopped. But I was having an anxiety attack,'" said Mercer, who was narrating a text from one of his daughters. 

EF Educational Tours, which operated the tour, said the Albany Middle School French teacher is doing well, but has a fair amount of recovery ahead. 

"The biggest thing I can say is you don't think about wearing your seatbelt on a bus. You say, "It's a bus or a limo or a shuttle I'm not going to wear my seatbelt,'" Mercer said. "The kids that wore their seatbelts had really no problems, and the ones that didn't have their seatbelt on were the ones that have injuries."

Mercer's daughters were taken to the hospital for observation, but are now able to resume their tour of France. 

Sydney said in a statement to KPIX 5: 

"It was a very scary situation but the chaperones and French paramedics worked tirelessly to help us. I helped alongside the other older students translating between the kids and the medical professionals the best we could. Luckily most injuries were not too severe. We are hoping that our teacher will be okay and that the students who were hurt more severely will have speedy recoveries and recieve proper treatment. I am very proud of how everyone acted as they all comforted and helped one another."

The sisters also helped others with first aid kits. 

"Certainly a terrifying experience when there was no information and then it turned into an experience where we were just so proud of how everybody worked together and how the chaperones and the teachers and everybody worked together," said Mercer. 

The Albany Unified School District is not officially associated with the tour. 

Betty Yu joined KPIX 5 in November 2013 as a general assignment reporter. She spent two years at WTVJ, the NBC-owned station in Miami, as a reporter before moving to San Francisco.

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Teachers cleared after girl, 12, drowns in lake on French trip

Three teachers accused of neglecting a schoolgirl who drowned when a pontoon capsized on a school trip in France have been acquitted by a court.

Jessica Lawson, 12, was one of 24 pupils from Wolfreton School, Willerby, Hull, who were swimming in a lake close to the city of Limoges in July 2015 when the plastic pontoon overturned.

Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers faced possible prison sentences after being accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence . They were found not guilty at a hearing at the Palais de Justice in Tulle yesterday.

A lifeguard on duty at the lake, Leo Lemaire, and the local authority in Liginiac were cleared of any wrongdoing, having faced the same charge.

Jessica’s father,

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School bus crashes in France, 7 children seriously injured

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PARIS (AP) — A crash between a school bus and a car in southwestern France has left 28 children injured, including seven who were seriously hurt, French authorities said Thursday.

The car driver was also slightly injured in the crash, which occurred in a rural area near the village of Manciet, according to the latest toll released by the local authority in the Gers department.

The bus was transporting 45 middle school students and five adults, including the driver. It’s not clear how many people were in the car.

A psychological assistance unit for the children and their families has been set up in a middle school in the town of Eauze.

Last month, a collision between a school bus and a regional train in southern France killed six children.

France recently decided to lower the speed limit on rural roads, starting from July, after the number of road fatalities rose recently.

Half term school ski trip ends in tragedy

Peter Rippington, 59, was killed when the coach veered off the A26 motorway near Chalons-en-Champagne before hitting a motorway safety barrier and rolling into a ditch, coming to rest on its side on the embankment.

Along with the four seriously injured, a total of 27 passengers were taken to hospitals in Reims and Chalons to be treated for injuries.

The school group from Alvechurch Middle School, Worcestershire, were travelling with school travel specialist Interski. As well as the teachers and pupils on board the coach, there were six Interski ski instructors.

The driver is due before a French court later today. Police suspect he either fell asleep at the wheel or was taken ill. The BBC has reported that the driver has tested negative for alcohol and drugs, and the coach’s electronic log book, which records the number of hours driven, showed nothing unusual.

Interski has extended its sympathies to those involved in “this tragic incident”, and has been helping repatriate the victims.

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Tragic litany of holiday disasters

Craig Norsworthy, 15, from Edinburgh, was killed when a coach carrying 38 youngsters careered off a road near Paris last August.

The driver, Adrian McDonald, was charged with involuntary manslaughter after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel.

1997, Alpine coach crash

Three children on a school trip to France were killed when their coach left a road near Albertville in the French Alps. Nichola Moore, 16, Robert Boardman, 14, and Keith Ridding, 14, were in a party of 16 pupils from St James high school in Bolton, Lancashire.

1996, rape and murder

Caroline Dickinson, a 13-year-old pupil at Launceston College in Cornwall, was raped and murdered in a Brittany youth hostel.

In 1999, her mother, Sue Dickinson, lost a claim for damages against Cornwall County Council after a court dismissed her case that teachers on the trip should have done more to protect her daughter.

1993, Lyme Bay drownings

Four teenagers lost their lives in 1993 when a school canoe trip off Lyme Regis, Dorset, went tragically wrong on March 22. A party of 23 children from Southway comprehensive in Plymouth was on an excursion to St Albans adventure training centre when the group was split up and blown out to sea.

The managing director of Active Learning and Leisure, Peter Kite, was jailed for three years for manslaughter. The company itself was convicted of corporate manslaughter and fined pound;60,000.

John Patten, education secretary at the time, introduced a four-point plan, which included a survey of activity centres, followed by Health and Safety Executive inspections, guidance for schools and councils, and changes in schools’ governing articles to make explicit the legal duty of care concerning health and safety. The regulation was enshrined in the Activity Centres Act 1995. The Act requires all providers of “high risk” adventurous activities for young pople under 18, whether for educational purposes or for activity holidays, to apply for a licence to run a commercial operation which is open to inspection.

1993, crash on the M40

A motorway accident which claimed the lives of 12 schoolchildren and a teacher from Hagley Roman Catholic high school in Stourbridge led to changes in

minibus regulations.

Seat belts were made compulsory on all school transport vehicles. Also, those who get their driving licence after January 1997 must take a special minibus test in order to drive one carrying schoolchildren.

“However, there is an exemption for volunteer drivers and it is currently not clear whether teachers driving on out-of-hours trips are covered,” said Kevin Clinton, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents spokesman. There are still no regulations concerning the time teachers spend driving.

1988, Alpine fall in Austria

Four British teenagers from Altwood Church of England secondary school in Maidenhead, Berkshire, fell more than 250ft to their deaths while on a school trip in the Austrian Alps.

That year, new guidelines to safeguard pupils on school trips were issued by the National Association of Head Teachers and a revised version of the Department for Education and Employment booklet, Safety in Outdoor Pursuits, was issued.

1985, drownings at Land’s End

Four boys from Stoke Poges middle school, Buckinghamshire, drowned during a school trip to Land’s End when they were swept out to sea while exploring rocks.

Alec Askew, the headteacher, resigned after the tragedy.

An inquiry into the accident was highly critical of party leader Mr Askew and teacher, Robert Harrington, who also resigned.

The inquiry made 22 proposals for organising future trips. New safety guidelines from the National Association of Head Teachers were widely adopted by education authorities after the tragedy.

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School coach crash: Two teenagers seriously injured after crash in France

A coach carrying nearly fifty teenagers from a Gloucestershire school has crashed in France.

One student from the Bournside School in Cheltenham is in a life-threatening condition

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Students injured in france coach crash hope to be flown home in the next couple of days.

Two Cheltenham students who were seriously injured in a coach crash in France are likely to be flown home in the next few days.

The students from Cheltenham Bournside School were rushed to hospital on Saturday after the coach they were on crashed.

The school released a statement today which said:

"We are delighted to be able to share that each of the two students who were seriously injured in the coach crash on Saturday are making very good progress and hope to be flown home over the next couple of days." "Both families would like to thank everyone for their support to date and for their kind words on social media, which has been of great comfort at such a difficult time."

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School coach crash: Police suggest driver 'fell asleep'

Video report by ITV News' Stacy Foster:

Police in France have suggested that the driver of a coach that crashed near the Swiss border while carrying British school children, fell asleep at the wheel.

Two children were seriously injured when the bus, carrying teenagers from Cheltenham Bournside School, came off the road on the A39 motorway at Lons-le-Saunier.

Ten students and one member of staff received ‘minor’ injuries. There were 48 people on board the coach which set off from the UK on Friday.

• For more on this story go to ITV News West Country

School crash parent: 'you think it's never going to happen'

A parent whose child was on board the coach which crashed in eastern France has told ITV News of the moment she got the call saying her son was safe.

42 students from the Bournside School in Cheltenham were on the coach. Two are in hospital with serious injuries.

The other students, who are aged between 14 and 18, will return to the UK later tonight. Among them, Mandy's son:

School coach crash: students returning to UK tonight

40 students whose coach crashed in France on the way to a holiday centre in Italy will return to the UK tonight.

42 students were on board the coach when it crashed close to the Swiss border.

One was airlifted to hospital with what are described as "life-threatening" injuries. Another was seriously injured. Their families are at their bedsides.

Our thoughts continue to be with the two students and their close family, who are seriously injured in hospital in France and will not be returning to the UK for now. I am pleased to be able to confirm that the parents of both students are now with their children and are being supported by the school and other relevant agencies.

• Bournside School

Headteacher of Bournside School speaks after coach crash

Two students from a Gloucestershire school have been seriously injured after a coach brining them to a holiday centre crashed in France.

France coach crash: trip provider 'deeply saddened' by accident

The trip provider which organised the holiday a group of school children were heading to when their coach crashed in France say the thoughts of the whole team are with those involved.

Acorn Adventure has outdoor adventure centres in Italy - a group of 42 students from Bournside School in Cheltenham were on their way to one when their coach was involved in a serious road traffic accident close to the Swiss border.

• Student 'in life-threatening condition' after French coach crash

Another 10 students and a member of the school staff were injured and are being treated near the scene.

We were deeply saddened to hear of this accident earlier today and our hearts go out to all those involved. Of course we are liaising with the coach operator who we have worked with for many years without incident to understand the details leading up to the accident, but right now our priority is to support those who have been injured and to work with the school to provide support to the families. I would like to thank the local emergency services for their swift response.

Latest ITV News reports

Michigan student dies 'suddenly' on school trip to robotics competition in Texas

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach someone with  the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline . They're available 24 hours a day and provide services in multiple languages

A Michigan community is mourning after a student died suddenly while on a school trip to a robotics competition in Texas last week.

The student "suddenly passed away," Lake Orion High School confirmed with USA TODAY Tuesday, but did not identify the student. The school is located in Orion Township, about 40 miles north of Detroit.

"It is with deep regret that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community," superintendent Ben Kirby said in a statement sent out to the student body on Friday, obtained by USA TODAY.

"Today, Friday, April 19, one of our current high school students suddenly passed away. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends," the statement continued.

Officials have not identified the student.

Student was attending Robotics World Championship

The school's principal, Dan Hass, informed parents that the student was attending the Robotics World Championship, according to reporting by the Oakland County Times .

“Our hearts are very heavy as we mourn this loss," Hass said, per the outlet. "We will be ready to meet the needs of our students and staff Monday morning.”

Kirby noted in the statement that Lake Orion High School and Lake Orion Community Schools have crisis teams that will be ready to "help with the needs of students and school personnel."

"We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to support our high school students through this tragedy," Kirby shared.

Authorities in Houston told USA TODAY a 16-year-old boy from Michigan died as a result of an apparent suicide Friday evening. 

The teen's official cause of death is pending an autopsy by the Harris County Coroner Coroner's Office.

Lake Orion High School Robotics team responds to tragedy

"This has been an incredibly challenging time for our team and community, and we are grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received," Lake Orion Robotics FIRST Team 302 shared in an Instagram post .

"We’re prioritizing the privacy of the family right now and will share more when it’s appropriate. Thank you all for your understanding and support."

Lake Orion High's robotics team was attending the FIRSTS robotics world championships in Houston, Texas that ran April 17 through April 20, according to the competition's website.

Support has poured in from other robotics teams across the country.

"Everyone on f(x) robotics sends their love and support to all @firstteam302 team members, their families, and the entire Lake Orion community as they get through this incredibly difficult time. #wearealldragons ," a North Carolina team wrote.

"4362 would like to extend our deepest condolences to all of the families, students, mentors, and coaches on @firstteam302 we our all here for you. #morethanrobots #wearealldragons ," wrote a Michigan team.

A West Virgina team said it is "grieved by the fact FIRST has lost a member of its community."

"This is a tragic time for everyone associated with team 302 and the FIRST community," an Idaho team shared.

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Your essential EU travel checklist

— 19 Dec 2023 09:09:00 by Kate Moore

Embarking on a French trip to one our of residential centres in France? Ensure a seamless journey with our comprehensive guide to the latest EU border, passport and visa rules. We've sifted through the complexities, so you can focus on the educational adventure ahead.

Preparing for a residential in France – top tips for teachers and parents

• Verify your passport validity well in advance and allow plenty of time for a new application if needed
• Students and teachers will need a valid EHIC card, or apply for a new GHIC, ahead of the trip
• From October 2024, groups will need to allow plenty of time to register their biometric data at the EU border
• Check mobile roaming charges with your provider

Will anyone need a new passport? 

Before Brexit, you could travel to EU countries on your passport right up to the point it expired. Now, school groups need to check the passport eligibility rules for their school trip destination.  The rules for British passport holders visiting France state that:

• passports must be less than 10 years old on the day your group enters (check the 'date of issue')
• passports must be valid for at least 3 months after the day your group leaves (check the 'expiry date')

Anyone who doesn't meet this criteria should allow plenty of time to apply for their new passport. 

Are EHICs still valid?   

The EHIC gives holders access to state-provided emergency healthcare for free or reduced cost in France. Though not a substitute for school travel insurance , the EHIC can help reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in the event that someone falls ill or has an accident while on a school trip in the EU. 

The good news is that your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is still valid in the EU until it expires.

• You’ll be able to replace your EHIC with a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) up to 6 months before it expires. 
• Applying for a GHIC is free of charge on the  NHS website . Beware of unofficial websites that charge you a fee to apply. 

New EU rules apply to school trips to France from October 2024

The 2024/25 academic year sees the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for visitors to France and other EU countries.  Here's what you need to know about the proposed systems:

EES machines will collect fingerprint data from Autumn 2024

• New booths are being introduced at EU borders  to collect travellers'  fingerprints and facial data 
• Similar to the self-service passport machines you see at airports, the new EES booths will be operational at the continental border and the ports of Dover and Folkestone from 6 October 2024
• You will need to allow plenty of time for your whole group to pass through the machines and register their biometric data before boarding your ferry or Eurotunnel crossing

ETIAS expected from Spring 2025

• Non-EU passport holders will need to apply online for an ETIAS to enter Europe from Spring 2025 
• The ETIAS visa waiver gives the holder permission to enter EU for 3 years and will cost €7 for adults
• Though ETIAS applications are free for under 18s, parents/guardians will still need to apply online for each child travelling to France

Group passport caution

Some countries no longer accept collective/group passports and we do not yet know how group passports will operate alongside the new EES and ETIAS systems. To avoid border issues we recommend against using a collective passport.

What about non-British/non-EU nationals on my French trip?  

Some EU countries offer visa exemptions for 'third country nationals' on a school trip. 

• Read about French visa guidance for third-country nationals on a school trip to France  

What other paperwork do we need?

When you arrive in France, be prepared to show your return ticket and proof of accommodation for your stay. We will provide these documents in your travel pack. You may also be asked to show that you have enough money for your stay.  

What about mobile roaming? 

The guarantee of free-roaming throughout the EU ended on 1 January 2021. This means that if your operator has reintroduced roaming charges you may now be charged more for using your mobile device in France.

Can I take food into the EU after Brexit?

Y ou are not allowed to bring any   dairy or  meat products   into the EU from the UK and  so don’t be tempted to   pack  chocolate,   biscuits, Bovril!   The EU website  states that the only exception is special foods required for medical reasons.

Useful resources

• What children should pack for their French residential stay with us
• Visa guidance for non-UK/non-EU resident students visiting France
• Our optional school trip travel insurance
• What you need to know about taking a school trip by ferry (on Voyager School Travel website)

Longview Lobos choir fully fund D-Day trip to France

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Death of Lake Orion teen on robotics trip determined to be suicide, Houston police say

The death of a Lake Orion High School student during a school robotics trip in Texas has been determined by medical examiners to be a suicide, Houston police officials said.

The April 19 death of the teen, whose name has not been released, was investigated by the Houston Police Department.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science determined the death was suicide, Houston police public information officer Victor Senties told The Detroit News on Thursday. Senties added results of the teen's autopsy remained pending.

The student was in Houston with members of the high school's robotics team , school officials said. High school officials said in an April 15 Facebook post that the school's robotics team was heading to Houston to compete in the FIRST robotics world championships, which began last April 17 and ran through April 20.

[email protected]

Families of victims in fatal N.J. school bus crash settle lawsuits for $20.5M

• Updated: May. 01, 2024, 1:39 p.m. |
• Published: May. 01, 2024, 11:35 a.m.

The fatal bus crash occurred May 17, 2018, when students from Eastbrook Middle School in Paramus were headed to Waterloo Village in Stanhope as part of a fifth-grade field trip. File

• Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A trucking company involved in a 2018 Paramus school bus crash in Morris County that left two people dead has settled a lawsuit for $650,000, bringing total settlement amounts in the case to more than $20 million, an attorney said Wednesday.

Bruce Nagel , who represented the families of one child who was killed and another who was severely injured, said Mendez Trucking agreed to settle the lawsuit in January after years of litigation.

“The amounts of the settlements are certainly significant as was the loss of the child and the significant injuries to the other young man,” Nagel said Wednesday. “I’m pleased to finally resolve this after five years.”

Killed in the crash were teacher Jennifer M. Williamson , 51, and student Miranda Vargas , age 10. Another student, Asher Majeed , who was 10 at the time, was critically injured in the crash.

Nagel said Paramus Public Schools reached settlements last fall with the family of Vargas for $7 million and with the family of Majeed for $12.5 million.

An attorney for Mendez Trucking did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement.

Jennifer Williamson, left, and Miranda Vargas died in a May 2018 school bus crash on Route 80 in Mount Olive.

The horrific crash occurred May 17, 2018, as school bus driver Hudy Muldrow Sr. drove students from Eastbrook Middle School in Paramus to Waterloo Village in Stanhope as part of a fifth-grade field trip.

Muldrow, then 77, cut across three lanes on Route 80 in Mount Olive in an attempt to reach a cut-through to get to the other side of the highway after missing an exit. The school bus collided with a dump truck owned by Mendez Trucking.

According to civil court documents, Muldrow’s driving record included at least 16 violations, including eight speeding tickets and at least one improper lane change, five crashes and 14 license suspensions — including one that occurred the same year as the fatal crash.

Muldrow was sentenced to 10 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to reckless vehicular homicide, assault by auto and child endangerment.

Stories by Anthony G. Attrino

• Driver charged with bias intimidation after clash with Palestine supporters
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• Social media influencer sued over video prank during children’s private tennis lesson at N.J. club

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on X @TonyAttrino . Find NJ.com on Facebook .

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‘They just wanted their moms:’ Mother survived deadly Hays bus crash, recounts tragic day

Victoria Limon stood next to the idling school bus after three hours of chaperoning a long-awaited field trip. She pulled her phone from her pocket at 1:36 p.m. and texted her co-workers.

On the bus, driving off.

The special education aide at Tom Green Elementary in Buda had helped gather the group of more than 40 children into a single-file line, including her 5-year-old daughter. She guided them to their green vinyl seats before settling into hers, two rows behind the driver.

She and 54 other teachers and prekindergarten students on the bus then eased from the Capital of Texas Zoo parking lot in Bastrop County on their 40-minute return trip to campus.

As the bus turned started chugging down busy Texas 21, Limon and several teachers traded cellphone photos, whispering as many children drifted to sleep.

About five minutes later, another staff member told the 43-year-old mother of five that her daughter, Diana, also had dozed off. Limon glanced to see Diana’s head hanging into the aisle and that she was squeezing out her young seatmate. Limon traded seats with the other girl, placing Diana’s head in her lap as the bus rumbled on.

Twenty-five minutes into the trip, as the bus drove west in a single lane with a 65 mile-per-hour speed limit, a parade of eastbound cars whisked past them with no lane between.

Limon had left her backpack and cellphone in the seat she had been sitting in, so she stared out the window at the passing cars. Then, as her heart jumped into her throat, she saw the 33-ton concrete truck barreling down the highway, veering from his lane into theirs.

Limon heard the sound of twisting metal and felt the crush of a violent impact. She realized she and the bus were being hurtled onto their right sides, spinning counterclockwise as the bus screeched off the highway.

Her survival and maternal instincts kicked in instantly as they came to a rest upright, but leaning, down an embankment. She saw some of the children, including Diana, tossed into a pile, many of them crying and bloody.

Limon is wearing a “Tom Green Strong” T-shirt with its hornet logo and sitting on her living room sofa.

She is the first passenger from the bus to publicly speak, and the aftermath of the trauma pierces through any normal conversation. Limon cheerfully answers the door to her home, offers guests water or a soft drink and a place to sit. 

Then she starts talking about that day. Her body tenses, and her hands shake slightly. Her husband, Eddie, stands feet away, reminding her that she’s OK. Diana was at school.

Limon is among multiple families who have brought lawsuits stemming from the crash against the driver of the truck and his employer. Accounts such as Limon’s will likely be critical evidence as the cases move through the courts in coming months.

More: Hays school bus with 44 pre-K students, 11 adults rolls over in Bastrop County; two dead

Limon divides her life before the crash and after. But Tom Green Elementary has been — and will always be — an anchor for her family, she says. Three of her five children have attended it.

The community around the campus is close-knit and family-focused. Four neighborhoods of single-family homes surround the school, which has a majority Hispanic student body of 850 children. The school, built in 1985, is named for a Hays County agriculture teacher. Because of the closeness to campus, most children walk to school or are driven by parents a short distance.

For some, a first-time bus ride that day added to the sense of adventure.

Limon left a job she had for a decade working as a financial analyst to spend more time with her children, who range in age from 24 to a 1-year-old, and she started working as a Tom Green substitute teacher in January 2021. It turned into a full-time staff position in a special education class soon thereafter. Limon instantly knew she was in the right place, doing the right thing.

“I love the school,” Limon says. “I love the teachers, my classroom, and my students. I love my job.”

Six hours before the crash, Limon stood in the kitchen of her family’s two-story home putting the final touches on sack lunches – an H-E-B lunchable with raspberry flavored water for Diana and a chef salad and turkey sandwich for herself. Her daughter bounded down the tan-carpeted stairs beaming with a Christmas morning-like joy.

“I am so excited!” Diana exclaimed.

The day had been weeks in the works with growing excitement as teachers made sure the parents of each child signed a permission slip and knew to send lunches. 

As they packed the yellow 2011 model International bus — each child wearing special-ordered $7 green tie-dye shirts with the school’s name and yellow lanyards with name tags — the ride was filled with a cacophony of children's chatter.

Once they pulled into the zoo’s parking lot around 10 a.m., many parents who had carpooled were already there waiting. The zookeeper gave them maps of the exhibits, and the children squealed as he did a one-man show with an otter. They petted goats and reptiles. Limon snapped a picture of a handler draping a boa constrictor around her daughter’s neck as Diana sheepishly grinned.

About an hour into the trip, students and chaperones sat at picnic tables for lunch and began winding down the tour shortly before 1 p.m. – nap time for many of the children.

In the seconds immediately after the crash, Limon took only a second to absorb the shock. 

Even though they had been in the same seat, Diana now appeared tossed into a different row. Limon could see and hear her crying — relieved to know that she was not badly hurt.

In what seemed like only a few moments, bystanders showed up to the bus and started rescuing passengers through doors and windows. 

Limon remembers helping lift some of the children, including Diana, to the strangers before they pulled her out of the same window. 

She saw a bloody fellow staff member lying on her side, but she didn’t recognize her because she was so badly injured. 

She also saw a bystander carrying a limp boy, covered in what seemed like a white T-shirt or towel.

Once on the side of the sun-drenched road, Limon gathered with the children around her, including Diana. Some asked if she had any Band-Aids.

“They just wanted their moms,” she says.

Paramedics divided them into groups based on the seriousness of their injuries and the need to go to the hospital.

Limon and Diana were among those loaded into an ambulance. Once at the hospital, she and other staff began piecing together information that someone — they didn’t know if it was a staff member or student — died.

She later realized that the boy she saw being carried by the bystander was 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, who died at the scene. 

Limon cried on the emergency room gurney. She had no seriously broken bones, only a broken heart. 

“I can’t imagine what that mom is going through,” she said. “I just can’t imagine. It makes you thankful to have them, and it makes you think about all the times you take for granted, that they are going to come running down the stairs.”

The crash also killed University of Texas doctoral student Ryan Wallace, who was traveling in a separate car on his late lunch break to pick up his two nephews at another school for a Friday night family night.

Today, Limon is still in pain. 

Glass slashed her left leg, and she fractured four vertebrae, requiring her to walk with a cane for now.

“I was bruised from head to toe,” she says. “I couldn’t move. I couldn’t sit without help.”

It took three days of showers for her and Diana to get all the glass out of their hair, she says. Her daughter also was badly bruised and had cuts.

She is concerned for Diana. Right after the crash, her daughter drew marks on the face, legs and arms of her dolls to resemble her own wounds. Diana seems to be returning to normal now, but Limon fears delayed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms could show up later. 

“These things just last,” she says.

Limon is also angry. In the days after the crash, she learned with other passengers and parents that the driver of the concrete truck, a 42-year-old man named Jerry Hernandez, told investigators that he had smoked marijuana and done “a small amount” of cocaine 12 hours before the crash.

Police have charged Hernandez with criminally negligent homicide. At the time of the crash, Hernandez also had warrants out of Hays County for bond violations on past, unrelated charges of assault/family violence and criminal mischief.

“It is incredibly egregious,” Limon’s attorney, Scott Hendler said. He said that as lawsuits mount, he fears the trucking company — which has declined to comment — won’t carry enough insurance to pay for all the damages to the injured children and staff.

More: DPS report provides new details of fatal Hays district school bus crash

Limon hopes to return to work, but right it now is too soon. She still wakes from nightmares, swinging into the darkness of her bedroom as if trying to grab a child. She hates riding, even in a car, since the crash, especially on a two-lane road. She braces when she sees oncoming traffic.

Limon’s mind keeps flashing back to the moment just before impact. She desperately wants to rewrite the story of that day.

“These kids had so much fun,” she said. “It is so unfortunate that this is their first experience being on a bus, being on a field trip.”

She paused.

“I just wish it could have gone differently,” she said.

Xi's Trip to Europe May Lay Bare West's Divisions Over China Strategy

Xi's Trip to Europe May Lay Bare West's Divisions Over China Strategy

FILE PHOTO: China's President Xi Jinping speaks at the "Senior Chinese Leader Event" held by the National Committee on US-China Relations and the US-China Business Council on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool/File Photo

By Laurie Chen and Michel Rose

BEIJING/PARIS (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Europe for the first time in five years next week in a visit that may lay bare European divisions over trade with Beijing and how the continent positions itself as a pole between the United States and China.

Xi travels to France, Serbia and Hungary at a time when the European Union is threatening to hammer China's electric vehicle and green energy industries with tariffs over huge subsidies the bloc says gives manufacturers in China an unfair edge.

With China's economy facing headwinds and the U.S. closing itself off to Chinese firms, the European Union could have some leverage over Beijing. But the bloc's 27 members are not neatly aligned, undermining their ability to shape Chinese thinking, analysts say.

Overshadowing the visit are European concerns over Chinese support for Russia's wartime economy two years into its military campaign in Ukraine.

Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said Xi's visit would "inject stability into the development of China-Europe relations and make new contributions to peace and stability in the world".

Photos You Should See - April 2024

Xi's goal would be neutralising the EU's economic security agenda, including its tariff threats, by exploiting internal differences, said Mathieu Duchatel, senior fellow at the Institut Montaigne.

"There's a very strong divide and rule element," Duchatel said of China's strategy towards Europe. "That's not hidden but in plain sight."

European companies and governments have long complained of restricted access to the Chinese market and unfair competition. A Kiel Institute study estimated China's subsidies for its firms range between three to nine times other major economies.

The European Commission has the exclusive right to run trade policy for the whole collective EU, but within the bloc member states have struggled to agree how to fix the trade imbalance.

Macron seeks a more aggressive EU stance on subsidies and warned that the bloc risked falling behind if it did not permit exemptions to its own competition rules in the face of 'oversubsidies' by China and the U.S.

'WE DON'T PROTECT ENOUGH'

"We regulate too much, we don't invest enough, we don't protect enough," Macron told The Economist in an interview published on Thursday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in April pressed Xi for better market access for German firms. But on the EU anti-subsidy investigations, apparently anxious to avoid antagonising Beijing, he said the bloc should not act out of protectionist self-interest although competition should be fair.

Some French government officials say privately that they are concerned Berlin will try to undermine the electric vehicle probe, which has zeroed in on Chinese carmakers BYD, Geely and SAIC. China is a key market for Germany's export-led economy and its carmakers such as BMW and Mercedez-Benz.

Scholz is due to dine with Macron and the two leaders' wives in Paris on Thursday, two sources involved in the planning said.

Noah Barkin, a senior adviser at the Rhodium Group and close follower of EU-China relations, said Macron would encourage Scholz to join him and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for four-way talks with Xi in the French capital, as Paris seeks to present a united front. The Elysee Palace declined to comment.

"A worrying gap has opened up between the German position on China, on the one hand, and the position of the French and the European Commission, on the other. There is simply a greater readiness in Paris and Brussels to push back against Beijing on the trade front than there is in Berlin," Barkin said.

RUSSIA CONCERNS

"Europe has quite a bit of leverage, but that leverage flies out the window if European lenders are sending different messages to Xi," Barkin added.

Xi will be in Europe from May 5-10.

A Macron aide said the French leader would add his voice to calls from Washington, Brussels, Berlin and elsewhere for China to stop exports to Russia of "dual-use" and other technologies propping up Russia's war effort.

In Serbia and Hungary, any public comments by Xi on Russia will face close scrutiny. Xi is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in China later in May.

Observers said Xi's choice of Serbia and Hungary was designed to pull closer two European countries that are pro-Russia and large recipients of Chinese investment, including financial aid for a delayed rail project linking their capitals.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he was honoured by Xi’s visit, and he expected a free trade agreement between the two countries signed last October to come into force on July 1.

Chinese analysts said Xi could use his stopover in Belgrade, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy there, to play up China's anti-NATO agenda.

China has amplified Russian efforts to blame the U.S. and NATO for escalating the Ukraine war by supplying arms to Kyiv.

Hungary has also in the past blocked EU statements criticising China on human rights.

Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar, described the outreach to Serbia and Hungary as part of China's efforts to deepen divisions within the West.

(Reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing and Michel Rose in Paris; Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Andreas Rinke in Berlin and Daria Sito-Sucic in Belgrade; Editing by Richard Lough, William Maclean)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Girl aged 12 dies in swimming accident on school trip to France

Headteacher says death of Jessica Lawson is ‘terrible tragedy’ that has deeply affected students and staff at Wolfreton school in Hull

The death of a 12-year-old girl in a swimming accident on a school trip to France is a terrible tragedy and a dreadful shock to the whole school community, her headteacher has said.

Jessica Lawson, from Wolfreton school in Hull, was taken to hospital in Limoges after an incident at an adventure resort on Tuesday afternoon, but died on Wednesday morning.

Her parents and sister Polly have travelled to the resort along with senior staff from the school. Headteacher Dave McCready said: “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go to the family at this very difficult time.”

Writing on Facebook, Polly Lawson said: “We are in France doing everything we can to get her back into the country.

“All of your thoughts are appreciated at this time. Remember who she was, not who she could have been. It is important we respect and cherish the memories we had with her. Thanks everyone again.”

Hannah Davison, another sister, added: “We are all heartbroken and devastated. Jess was the most beautiful and outgoing girl and I am proud to be her sister. I will live my life to the full just like she would have done. I love you angel. Forever.”

Jessica was among 24 students and three staff who were on a watersports trip to an adventure centre in the Massif Central.

The France Bleu radio network reported she had spent several days at the centre and was among a group playing in a lake and jumping from a pontoon. The pontoon overturned and some of the children were trapped underneath. The lifeguard dived down twice before finding her, it was reported.

French authorities have started an investigation and are interviewing students, after which they will be brought home and reunited with their families. Counsellors will also be available to help those affected.

McCready said: “As a parent myself I can only begin to imagine the pain felt by her parents and family at her death at such a young age.

“As you would expect, the news of this terrible tragedy has come as a dreadful shock to our whole school community, and we will continue to liaise with the appropriate bodies to provide ongoing support to the family and also to other students and staff, who will be deeply affected by this tragic news.”

The pupils left school on Saturday on a six-day trip to the Activ4 Adventure Centre in Meymac, central France, and were due to return home on Thursday.

The adventure holiday gave the children the chance to try kayaking, canoeing and sailing, as well as activities such as climbing, mountain biking and orienteering.

One of the conditions for going on the trip was that pupils had to be able to swim 50 metres unaided, although a letter to parents said they did “not have to be technically sound or regular swimmers”.

Steve Scott, managing director of the tour company Activ4, said: “We can confirm that a student on one of our trips to the south of France passed away this morning following a swimming incident yesterday afternoon.

“At this stage the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

“The owners of the activity centre and senior management from Activ4 are working closely with the local authority and the school to provide all necessary support and assistance.”

Mike Furbank, the head of children and young people, education and schools at East Riding of Yorkshire council, said: “The council is providing close support to the school and to the student’s family in these tragic circumstances, and arrangements are being made for other members of the school party to travel home as soon as possible.

“Our deepest sympathy is with the student’s family, the pupils, staff and everyone else in the wider school community.”

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