Violent high school rivalry lands in top Utah court

A violent rivalry between groups of East High and West High students had parents and attorneys before the Utah Supreme Court this week over a claim of conspiracy against one group of students.

Enraged over being assaulted at a sporting event against East High and later at a Halloween party, court records state, two West High students wanted revenge by planning an assault on a Salt Lake City home where they believed some of the East High students responsible were hanging out.

In the late evening of Nov. 2, 2001, around 15 to 20 West High students, many of whom were drinking alcohol, showed up at the home of Rick Jedrziewski with bottles and baseball bats, court records state. Unknown to the group, the home was occupied by the man's family and several female school friends of his daughter, instead of the student the group was seeking.

Jedrziewski claims the boys smashed windows and forced open doors, screaming obscenities. When the windows broke, most of the boys ran away; however, Jedrziewski and one female school friend chased after several boys. One punched the girl in the nose and others allegedly assaulted Jedrziewski with baseball bats. The man claims he was beaten unconscious.

Realizing they may have attacked the wrong house, the boys later reconvened to develop a "joint alibi," according to Jedrziewski's attorney, Richard Burbidge.

Later, Jedrziewski's family and the family of his daughter's friends filed a civil suit against the group of West High students under a claim of conspiracy that holds each student liable for the group's actions.

"It was all intentional. Every act was intentional, willful and violent," said Burbidge before the Utah Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday. Burbidge said it was clear the raid on the house was a conspiracy, given that the group not only met to plan it in advance, but that they met afterward to form an alibi.

The fact that more than a dozen students took part is also significant in that a mob mentality could prove more dangerous than one or two persons. "Human actions become more lethal and they become more conspiratorial" in a large group, Burbidge argued.

Attorneys for some of the boys involved in the attack, however, argue that their clients should only be held liable for the damage they themselves caused. Attorney James Jardine said it was the Legislature's intent when it passed the Liability Reform Act to prevent one person from being held liable for the actions of others.