The family of Dr. Cameisha Clark, the 35-year-old dean of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology who was fatally shot on campus earlier this year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the institution, alleging negligence in hiring and security practices.
The lawsuit claims Spartan College and its contracted security company failed to conduct even a basic background check before employing Jesse Figueroa, the former security guard accused of killing Dr. Clark and injuring another staff member on May 2.
Figueroa, 40, has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and multiple felony counts after prosecutors say he opened fire inside the Inglewood campus, targeting Dr. Clark and her receptionist.
Family Questions Hiring Practices
Attorneys for Dr. Clark’s family argue that the college ignored clear warning signs that should have disqualified Figueroa from a security role.
“How does a six-time felon get hired as your security guard?” said Chris Stewart, managing partner at Stewart Miller Simmons, during a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “How do you hire someone who has had an expired security license for more than a decade to be your on-campus security?”
Attorney Rodney Diggs, director at Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs, added:
“They skipped the basic checks that would have revealed his past, and they looked the other way. That failure put a dangerous man in a position of trust and, unfortunately, Dr. Clark had to pay with her life.”
The complaint asserts that both Spartan College and the security company are liable for negligence. Attorneys have not attached a monetary figure to the lawsuit at this stage.
Remembering Dr. Clark
Dr. Clark, who had recently been promoted to Interim Dean of Student Affairs, earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Clark Atlanta University.
Loved by students and colleagues alike, she was remembered as a passionate educator who dedicated her life to mentoring others.
Standing alongside Dr. Clark’s former students, her mother, Tywana Williams, described her daughter as “a healer, a mentor, and a woman who gave so much of herself to others.”
Institutional Silence
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts said shortly after the shooting that Clark and her receptionist were specifically targeted by Figueroa. Meanwhile, Spartan College has denied that Figueroa was directly employed by them, though the lawsuit disputes that claim.
Spartan College has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Clark’s family says their pursuit of justice is about more than financial compensation, it is about accountability.
