When a public school partially funded by our tax money claims they are immune to legal action, things get a little complicated. Recently Amarillo College said they are immune to lawsuits even after one of it's students is severely injured on campus.



Back in September Larry "Mac" McLeoud was getting ready to leave class.He hopped on his motorcycle and was leaving a campus parking lot when in a matter of just seconds his life changed.



An electronic arm gate came crashing down, hitting him in the face.



The parking lot is near SW 24th St and Memorial Park. With only one way out, Mac was forced to pass though the gated exit. But when the gate hit him, his injuries ended up costing him thousands of dollars in medical bills.



"I broke my upper jaw, I broke my nose, I fractured both cheek bones, both bones around my eyes, fractured my sinus cavity, fractured my skull and I had a brain bleed, plus about 38 stitches to sew my eyebrow and everything back up," he told us.



Mac also suffered from a traumatic brain injury and had to be transferred to the Lubbock hospital for treatment.



Attorney Dean Boyd has dealt with cases like this in the past but this one brings up up some unusual concerns.



"There are a lot of good people who make sure Amarillo College is a success and when you invite your students in and you want them at your college but then you hurt them, you should be held responsible and you should have to pay," Boyd said. "The college says we are immune, we don't have to help you, we are not going to help," he added.



Although it may bring up some moral questions, Amarillo College is technically not wrong. Texas Tech Law Professor John Watts explains.



"Amarillo college is correct under Texas law. They are going to enjoy immunity from negligence that harms people," he said. The technical term is "sovereign immunity," Watts added.



Protected under this sovereign immunity, junior colleges like AC, Texas school districts and the state government can not be sued unless they agree to it first which in almost every case they never do.



Watts further explains the legal reasoning behind the college's protection is actually aimed at protecting all of us as whole.



"That would mean me and you would have to pay higher taxes because the state would get sued a lot more. So immunity eliminates all lawsuits. It certainly saves money in a good way," he said.



As for Mac, he is no longer a student at Amarillo College and is finishing up his engineering degree at WTAMU.



Amarillo College would not talk with us on camera but during a court requested deposition they admitted the electronic arm gate upkeep is the responsibility of the school. But because no work has been done on it within the last two years Boyd says this falls outside of the legal statue of limitations, meaning there is nothing legally that can done and Mac is left without any more legal options.