The Star Tribune published an article that highlights ClearCause and State Senator Terri Bonoff’s vision to maximize safety for students studying abroad.
ClearCause founder Sheryl Hill and Elizabeth Brenner contacted Senator Bonoff in June 2013 and asked her to work alongside ClearCause towards safe global youth travel for American students. Sheryl’s son, Tyler Hill, died a preventable death in a People to People student ambassador trip to Japan. Elizabeth’s son’s body (Thomas Plotkin) was never found after he traveled to India with National Outdoor Leadership School in 2011. Bonoff is planning on introducing legislation early in the 2014 session to help keep students safe while abroad.
“The law, co-authored in the House by Representative Yvonne Selcer, DFL-Minnetonka, would expand a Minnesota statute to protect students abroad to the same or greater degree that foreign students are protected here,” the Star Tribune article reported.
The law would require study abroad programs to report
their numbers of injuries and deaths of students. Without this law, study abroad programs aren’t held accountable to authorities or families.
their numbers of injuries and deaths of students. Without this law, study abroad programs aren’t held accountable to authorities or families.
“Programs, Hill said, investigate themselves and often notify their insurance companies and attorneys before notifying families, ‘if they even notify families,’” the Star Tribune article reported.
Boston attorney David P. Angueira represents two families of students who died while studying abroad and fully supports the efforts of Sheryl and ClearCause. “Parents love the idea of sending their kids on these trips,” Angueira said. “What parents don’t know is that these companies enter into independent contract agreements with providers in host countries. Some are licensed, but not all. The tour company will have schools and students sign releases. How often do you read the small print? You’d better start reading it. They put in language that says, ‘If your kid gets killed, you can’t sue us,’ ” he said in the Star Tribune article.
ClearCause and Bonoff hope that Minnesota can become a model for the nation through their efforts to keep students safe while studying abroad.
“Sheryl Hill is already a brave role model for too many families enduring unfathomable loss. ’Sheryl is driven to make a difference,” Bonoff said. “She sees herself as everyone’s mom. They’re all her kids.’”
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