A San Joaquin Valley school district agreed Wednesday to pay $10.5 million to a former student who suffered brain damage during a pep rally, when he was attacked and beaten while wearing the costume of a chicken — the mascot of a rival football team.
The Kern County High School District agreed to settle the lawsuit filed by Mitch Carter. The vast majority of the award will be paid by the district’s insurance carrier.
The announcement of the settlement brought a swift end to the damages phase of the trial, when jurors decide how much money to award. On Monday, jurors found the school district liable for Carter’s injuries.
In December 2010, Carter — then 17 years old — was wearing a chicken costume as part of a skit at Bakersfield High School that mocked the mascot of Clovis West High School in Clovis.
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