OTTAWA -- The parents of an Ottawa teen who was killed in a shop class explosion two years ago are suing their son's teacher and the school board.
Eric Leighton, 18, was killed at Mother Theresa High School on May 26, 2011, when the metal barrel he was cutting into as part of a shop class project to make a barbecue exploded.
A ministry of labour investigation found the barrel had originally contained peppermint oil and had been improperly cleaned with a flammable cleaner.
The suit filed by Pat and Sheri Leighton against the Ottawa Catholic School Board and the shop teacher, Scott Michael Day, alleges the teacher and board were negligent in allowing the project to go forward.
The family is seeking $400,000 in damages, and an additional $30,000 in lost wages, for time taken off due to grief.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board has already been fined $275,000 for provincial safety standards violations, and Day has not returned to work since the fatal explosion.
