CONEJO VALLEY : Injured Student Files Claim Against District

A Westlake High School student who was involved in an off-campus brawl in February has filed a claim against the Conejo Valley Unified School District for medical and other expenses stemming from the incident.

Curtis Simmons, who will be a senior at Westlake High this year, was beaten with a wooden board and other objects during a Feb. 3 fight at North Ranch Park that left two students hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Simmons and his family are seeking compensation from the school district for his medical treatment, school officials said.

Although school officials would not comment on the details or amount of the claim, they have recommended that the school board reject it. Board members will vote on the matter at their meeting Thursday night.

According to court testimony, the brawl occurred after Simmons and 16-year-old James Lee agreed to meet at the park for a fistfight to settle an ongoing dispute.

Police said the violence began when Lee arrived with several carloads of older youths, one of whom opened fire on friends of Simmons who had gathered to watch the fight.

Lee and three other youths have been charged with a variety of crimes, including assault with a deadly weapon. In April, the four boys were ordered to stand trial as adult co-defendants.

Lee, of Thousand Oaks, has been a fugitive since April 27, when he failed to appear for arraignment. Authorities believe that he may have fled to his native Taiwan.