On Friday, an Oakland County Circuit Court Judge ruled that the Oxford school district and its employees cannot be sued in relation to the Oxford High School mass shooting that took place in November 2021.

Judge Mary Ellen Brennan stated that the school district employees have government immunity from any civil lawsuits claiming that Oxford Schools acted negligently while attempting to stop a 15-year-old from killing four schoolmates and wounding many others.

More: Oakland County judge to decide soon whether to dismiss Oxford Schools lawsuit

Governmental immunity is a state law that safeguards public agencies, including school districts, from many lawsuits.

"While Plaintiffs allege claims against Defendant Oxford Community Schools for gross negligence and vicarious liability, such claims do not fall within any of the six recognized exceptions," according to the court order.

Based on the state law, Brennan wrote "the Court concludes that Ethan Crumbley’s act of firing the gun, rather than the alleged conduct of the individual defendants, was ‘the one most immediate, efficient and direct cause of injury or damage.’”

More: Oxford school officials: Ethan Crumbley's parents never refused to take him home

One of the attorneys representing the victims, Ven Johnson, has argued that governmental immunity does not apply in this case, as the type of negligence exhibited by the school employees amounts to a higher standard of negligence.

Johnson issued a statement following the ruling.

"On behalf of our Oxford clients, we are deeply saddened and disappointed by Judge Brennan’s dismissal today of all the Oxford Community Schools defendants," he said "We maintain that governmental immunity is wrong and unconstitutional, and the law should be changed immediately."

Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge: Oxford school district cannot be sued for mass shooting