NPM questions CSC’s effort in Larios agreement

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, Nebraska Public Media (NPM) published an investigative report on the 2020 Fatima Larios settlement, with the family claiming that CSC is “hiding it.”
In 2017, 19-year-old CSC student and softball player Fatima Larios died by suicide after suffering “from a physically and emotionally abusive relationship with her boyfriend,” NPM reported. Her family sued the college, stating that “college officials failed to protect their daughter.”
Three years later, CSC, Nebraska State College System (NSCS) did not admit wrongdoing or liability for Fatima’s death but entered a settlement agreement with the Larios family and agreed to pay them $900,000. The agreement included a scholarship and a memorial set up in Fatima’s name, suicide prevention training for staff and students and assistance with the college’s sexual violence and harassment policies.

The investigative report NPM found that, after two years, the $2,000 scholarship is not publicized or “attached to Fatima’s life.” The scholorship is not advertised and the recipient isn’t publicly announced. Instead, the “softball coach tells Fatima’s story” to the student who recieves the award.
The article states that college agreed to spend up to $25,00 on thememorial, but it only spend $600 which is a little less than 3%. Fatima’s family had wanted a life-sized statue of her. However, the college memorialized her with a sapling and stone sign, much like it has done in the past with others that have been memorialized around campus.
It also discovered emails that said President Randy Rhine “instructed staff to keep Fatima’s family out of the memorial planning process soon after signing the agreement.”
In the article, Fatima’s father, Nelson Larios stated that CSC, “just want to comply, and keep it a secret so nobody needs to know that this ever happened.”
Rhine said in an email Tuesday that the college has complied with the terms of the settlement.
“Chadron State College understands that the Larios family continues to grieve the tragic loss of their daughter, Fatima, and no action taken, or statements made by the College can assuage that grief,” Rhine said in an email Tuesday. “However, the College has complied and will continue to comply with the terms of the settlement agreement. The College remains committed to the education and well-being of our students.”