Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT >> IN THE COMPLAINT FILED BY ROSE PARENTS, THEY ALLEGED THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DIDN’T DO ENOUGH TO RAISE RED FLAGS ABOUT MICHAEL ROSFELD. THE PARENTS FIRED THE CLAIMS ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY. 17-YEAR-OLD ANTWON ROSE WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL ROSFELD THE NIGHT MICHAEL ROSFELD WAS SWORN IN AS A MEMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT, I CARESSED FIELD MADE FALSE ARRESTS DURING HIS TIME AT UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. AN ATTORNEY ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY NOW RESPONDING TO THE LAWSUIT, ARGUING THAT THE SHOOTING HAPPENED OR THAN FIVE MONTHS AFTER MICHAEL ROSFELD WAS EMPLOYED AND THAT THE UNIVERSITY COULD NOT HAVE REASONABLY FORESEEN THAT MICHAEL ROSFELD WOULD CRIMINALLY SHOOT ANTWON ROSE. ACCORDING TO THE FILING, MICHAEL ROSFELD WAS HIRED AT UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH IN 2012 AND WAS FIRED IN 2018. DESPITE BEING EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY FOR SIX YEARS, THE FILING ARGUES THE UNIVERSITY HAS NO OBLIGATION UNDER STATE OR FEDERAL LAW TO REPORT ON THE JOB PERFORMANCE OF ITS PREVIOUS EMPLOYEES. ROSE’S PARENTS HAVE A SEPARATE LAWSUIT FILED. MICH

Advertisement University of Pittsburgh responds to lawsuit filed by parents of Antwon Rose Michelle Kenney and Antwon Rose Sr. have made several claims against the university Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The University of Pittsburgh is responding to a lawsuit filed by the parents of Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed by East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld in June.Rosfeld is charged with criminal homicide in the case.In a complaint filed last month, Rose's parents alleged the university didn’t do enough to raise red flags about Rosfeld, who had worked as a police officer for Pitt. They claim, as a result, Rosfeld was able to be hired by East Pittsburgh police.Rose was shot and killed by Rosfeld on the night the officer was sworn in as a member of the East Pittsburgh Police Department.In their lawsuit, Rose’s parents claim that during Rosfeld’s time at Pitt, he conducted false arrests, assaulted individuals and falsified records and that Pitt failed to discipline him.One example cited in that lawsuit is an arrest at the Garage Door Saloon in Oakland that led to a lawsuit against Rosfeld that was dismissed last month.In filing several preliminary objections to the lawsuit filed by Rose’s parents, an attorney for the University of Pittsburgh says, among other things, that the shooting happened more than five months after Rosfeld was employed by Pitt and that “The University could not have reasonably foreseen that Rosfeld would allegedly criminally shoot and kill Rose because Plaintiffs allege no similar prior conduct.”That attorney also says the complaint alleges no misconduct as a University officer suggesting Rosfeld would later shoot and kill someone and points out, “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has expressly held that defendants are not liable for the future misconduct of former employees unless there is a federal or state law mandating that the defendant report similar prior misconduct.”They say the University has no obligation under state or federal law to report on the job performance of its prior employees.Kenney and Rose Sr. have a separate federal lawsuit filed against Rosfeld, the borough of East Pittsburgh and two East Pittsburgh officials.The borough dissolved its police department at the end of November 2018.Rosfeld is currently scheduled to face a trial on a criminal homicide charge in late February.