Bowers v. Du Page County Regional Board of School Trustees District No. 4

539 N.E.2d 246, 183 Ill. App. 3d 367, 131 Ill. Dec. 893, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 666
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 11, 1989
Docket2-88-0627
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 539 N.E.2d 246 (Bowers v. Du Page County Regional Board of School Trustees District No. 4) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bowers v. Du Page County Regional Board of School Trustees District No. 4, 539 N.E.2d 246, 183 Ill. App. 3d 367, 131 Ill. Dec. 893, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 666 (Ill. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

JUSTICE INGLIS

delivered the opinion of the court:

This action was brought by Connie Bowers on behalf of herself and Christina Bowers, a minor, to recover damages from defendants, Du Page County Regional Board of School Trustees District No. 4 (Board of Trustees), Addison Board of Education District No. 4 (Board of Education), and Du Page County Educational Services Region (Educational Services Region), for the alleged negligence and wilful and wanton misconduct of defendants in supervising Christina and in providing equipment. Defendants filed motions to dismiss based on sections 2 — 615 and 2 — 619 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, pars. 2 — 615, 2 — 619). The trial court granted all of the motions of defendants and dismissed the first amended complaint with prejudice.

On appeal, plaintiffs contend that the trial court abused its discretion in dismissing the complaint pursuant to section 2 — 619 when defendants’ motions and supporting briefs were brought pursuant to section 2 — 615; the complaint asserted a cause of action for negligence in the supplying of equipment for which defendants can be held liable; the complaint stated a cause of action for wilful and wanton conduct; and the trial court erred in granting defendants’ motions with prejudice. Additionally, the Educational Services Region contends that it is not a legal entity capable of being sued.

The first amended complaint consists of four counts. Count I of the first amended complaint alleges that Christina was injured when she slipped and fell from a rope ladder she was required to climb (by an employee of defendants) during gym class. The complaint also alleges that defendants owned, maintained, and controlled the rope ladder and the gymnasium in which the fall occurred. The amended complaint further alleges:

“6. On November 19, 1986, the defendants, DU PAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, was negligent in one or more of the following respects:
a. Failed to provide adequate and proper supervision during the physical education class;
b. Failed to provide safe and adequate matting under ‘rope ladders’;
c. Failed to provide adequate equipment for children to use during the physical education class;
d. Failed to instruct students in the proper manner to perform required activities such as ‘rope ladder’ climbing;
e. Failed to ascertain whether or not children were able to perform the inherently dangerous task of ‘rope ladder’ climbing;
f. Failed to insure that other students did not hinder or endanger the plaintiff while she was performing the required task.”

Count II of the first amended complaint has been brought by the mother, Connie Bowers, in her own right. Count II incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 9 of count I alleging negligence. Count II further alleges that Connie has become liable under section 15 of “An Act to revise the law in relation to husband and wife” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 40, par. 1015) for expenses incurred as a result of Christina’s injuries and that Connie has suffered among other losses the loss of society of Christina.

Count III of the first amended complaint has been brought on behalf of Christina and alleges, in pertinent part:

“6. On and before November 19, 1986, defendants, DU PAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, knew or should have known that the use of a ‘rope ladder’ without the proper supervision and equipment would result in the injury to the plaintiff.
7. On November 19, 1986, the defendants, DU PAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, with a conscious indifference and utter disregard for the safety of others was willful and wanton in one or more of the following respects:
a. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard failed to provided [sic] inadequate and improper [sic] supervision during the physical education class;
b. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard provided unsafe and inadequate matting under ‘rope ladders’;
c. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard provided inadequate equipment for children to use during the physical education class;
d. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard failed to instruct students in the proper manner to perform required activities such as ‘rope ladder’ climbing;
e. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard failed to ascertain whether or not children were able to perform the inherently dangerous task of ‘rope ladder’ climbing;
f. Knowingly and intentionally or with reckless disregard failed to insure that other students did not hinder or endanger the plaintiff while she was performing the required task;
8. As a proximate result of one or more of the aforesaid willful and wanton acts or omissions of the defendants, DU PAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, the plaintiff, CHRISTINA CHASE BOWERS, has sustained serious and permanent injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature.”

Count IV of the first amended complaint has been brought by the mother, Connie Bowers, in her own right under the heading of wilful and wanton. However, count IV incorporates by reference “paragraphs 1 thru 10 of Count 7” which were based in negligence. Like count II, count IV alleges that Connie has become liable under section 15 of “An Act to revise the law in relation to husband and wife” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 40, par. 1015) for expenses incurred as a result of Christina’s injuries and that Connie has suffered, among other losses, the loss of society of Christina.

The Board of Education brought a motion to dismiss the first amended complaint pursuant to section 2 — 619 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 2 — 619), alleging that counts I and II should be dismissed because the Board was immune from liability for negligence under the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act (Tort Immunity Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 85, par. 1 — 101 et seq.) and that counts III and IV should be dismissed because they were devoid of facts necessary to allege wilful and wanton conduct. The Board of Education also brought a motion to dismiss the first amended complaint pursuant to section 2 — 615 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 2 — 615), alleging, among other things, that count I is insufficient in law because under section 24 — 24 of the School Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 122, par. 24 — 24), the Board is only liable for improper supervision where its conduct is wilful and wanton. The section 2 — 615 motion also alleged that counts II and IV should be dismissed because they improperly joined causes of action based on “An Act to revise the law in relation to husband, and wife” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 40, par.

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Bluebook (online)
539 N.E.2d 246, 183 Ill. App. 3d 367, 131 Ill. Dec. 893, 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bowers-v-du-page-county-regional-board-of-school-trustees-district-no-4-illappct-1989.