Virginia Tech Families to Be Offered Up to $180,000

Under the plan, families of those killed can accept $180,000 in cash or request that some of the money be used to fund an endowed scholarship in honor of the victim.

Victims who were hospitalized for 10 days or more will be offered $90,000 and free tuition for their remaining years at Virginia Tech. Those hospitalized for three to nine days will receive $40,000, plus free tuition.

Uninjured students who were in the five Norris Hall classrooms where the shootings took place will be offered a choice between free tuition or $10,000.

Recipients have 30 days to accept the offer.

Vincent J. Bove, a spokesman for seven of the families, said the money "will help the families get back on track." But Bove, a security expert from New Jersey, cautioned that the relatives of the victims will continue to explore ways to make the university "accountable."

"They want to remain focused on what happened, why it happened," Bove said. "It was preventable, and a lack of leadership allowed this to happen."

Peter Read of Annandale, whose daughter Mary was killed in Norris Hall, said the university's decision to keep the fund open through December will help. "I don't know what all of our future obligations are going to be, but I do know for some families, things are going to be very significant," he said.

Holly Adams, whose daughter Leslie Sherman of Springfield was killed in Norris, said in a statement that she hopes Virginia Tech will delay final disbursement of the fund until it raises more money.

"Under the circumstances, considering potential receipt of additional substantial donations through December, disbursement at this time may be premature," Adams said.

University officials have been discussing for weeks the best way to distribute the money in the fund.

Two months after the shootings, Virginia Tech announced plans to use at least half of the fund to create 32 scholarships in honor of each of the victims. More than a dozen relatives of the victims accused the university of "using the names and images of 32 victims for vast fundraising purposes."

Virginia Tech then hired Feinberg, who initially drew up plans to offer $150,000 to the families of those killed and $25,000 to $75,000 to the wounded. That offer was also rebuffed by some of the families.

Feinberg said Wednesday that the latest offer is final because there is no more money available in the fund. In fact, the fund will have a $200,000 deficit unless more contributions are received.

He said the money from the fund would supplement any money the state of Virginia decides to offer the victims or their relatives in exchange for a waiver not to sue the state or the university.

"Nothing in here makes any attempt to answer any legal questions, nor does anything in this protocol require the claimants to waive any rights," Feinberg said.

It would be difficult for the families to sue the state, which has a legal protection known as sovereign immunity. Potential damages would be capped at $100,000, although there are no caps on awards if the Virginia attorney general decides to settle a suit out of court.

Several state lawmakers said recently that creation of a state compensation fund might be the best solution to avoid the distraction of lawsuits.

Feinberg said "that is a public policy question for the state of Virginia." But, he added, "if the state of Virginia adds funds to this program, why not also to other programs when someone through no fault of their own suffers misfortune?"