UPDATE: Cincinnati Police Zero In On Parents in Zoo Incident

[avebury]

12. The problem with this country these days

is that people are not willing to take responsibility for their actions (or lack there of ) and want to blame someone else. The mother showed a gross lack of judgement thinking that she can managed 4 young children in a public area that is chock full of distractions. She should have had at a minimum one more adult with her. Would it have been the zoo's fault if all the children went in separate directions? What would the mother do if they had all taken off in different directions? Adults have a duty to act responsibly when they have children in their care. There is no way that you can give the mother a pass because her lack of judgement created a situation where the little boy could dart off and do exactly what he told her he was going to do. She had ample notice of his intent and she did absolutley nothing to stop him. Telling the boy no doesn't count. You cannot expect a 4 year old to have impulse control. That is why you have adults in charge of children. Had the child never said a peep about his desire to get into the gorilla exhibit I probably would be willing to cut her some slack. But the fact is that she did have notice.

Due to the contributory negligence on the part of the mother I would never vote in favor of the family if they were to sue the zoo. The zoo had a spotless 38 year record where the Gorilla exhibit is concerned.

"Normally a zoo letting a 3 year old in with Gorillas, would be sued." Where was it ever said that the zoo allowed the 4 year old in with the gorillas? Where was it ever said that the zoo was notified that the 4 year old wanted to go in with the gorillas? With a 38 year spotless record what would make the zoo think that a carless mother would create a situation where a 4 year old could get close enough to even enter the gorilla enclosure?

The mother was given several notices of the boy's intent, the zoo was not. The zoo never gave the child permission to play with the gorillas. In fact what the child did could be deemed tresspassing at a minimum or even harrassing an endangered animal (which in some places is often in and of itself a crime). While you couldn't charge a minor child, parents are legally liable for the actions of their children.

I don't find any fault with the zoo. The did the best they could with a bad situation.