- A federal judge has ordered Sean Harrison, 58, to pay more than $10 million to a child he shot in the head.
- Harrison was a beloved dean of a Boston high school.
- But he was also affiliated with a gang and recruited students to run drugs for him.
A federal judge on Friday ordered the former dean of a Boston school to pay more than $10 million in damages to a former student he shot and killed.
Former British high school principal Shaun Harrison was found guilty of assault after he shot a 17-year-old in the back of the head in 2018.
He recruited the teen to help him distribute marijuana throughout the school, AP report then. But then the two got into an argument, and Harrison shot him in 2015. The teenager was treated in hospital and told police that Harrison shot him.
17-year-old Luis Rodriguez, who was shot and paralyzed, has hearing problems, as well as facial neuropathy, a condition that causes severe facial pain, The Associated Press report. Rodriguez is also addicted to opioids as he takes prescription drugs to deal with the severe pain from the bullet still in his head.
Harrison was sentenced to 26 years in prison in 2018. On Friday, he was ordered to pay $7.5 million in damages for pain and emotional distress, as well as $2.5 million in punitive damages. He also had to shell out $80,000 to pay for the teen’s medical bills, according to the Associated Press.
The trial that led to his conviction revealed that Harrison, 58, lived a double life. He was well-liked by students, who affectionately called him “Rev,” according to the Associated Press. He has served as a student mentor and youth minister.
But he was a part-time member of the Latin Kings gang, according to the Associated Press. In that role, he had students at the high school where he worked trade marijuana to other kids.
“The sentencing of Mr. Harrison as an individual will ensure that he can never profit from any efforts after his release, including the sale of the publishing rights to this story,” Rodriguez’s attorney, John Martin, told The Associated Press.
