Child damages glass sculpture; US city demands Rs 90 lakh from parents

While hugging a glass sculpture at a community centre in Kansas, a five-year-old boy accidentally knocked it over causing it to be damaged beyond repair. The city has demanded $132,000 or approximately Rs 90 lakh from the parents of the boy for the damage caused.

As per a report by the Kansas City Star, Sarah Goodman was attending a wedding reception at the Overland Park’s Tomahawk Ridge Community Center, Kansas with her husband and four children. They were getting ready to leave and saying goodbye to the bride’s father when she heard commotion around the corner. Although she didn’t see exactly see what happened but found the sculpture on the ground. According to Goodman, it didn’t look badly damaged.

The glass sculpture was on a stand inside the community centre. The city authorities said that the insurance company will reach out to the responsible party in case of any damage to a public property.

Goodman was shocked to receive a letter from Travelers Insurance stating, “This loss occurred when your son was in a closed area of the property and toppled a glass sculpture. Under common law in Kansas, you are responsible for the supervision of a minor child and your failure to monitor them during this loss could be considered negligent. The cost of the sculpture damaged is estimated at $132,000.”

She said in the report, “Our kids were well-supervised and well-behaved. We were just standing down the hallway following the bride and groom out… Maybe my son hugged a torso because he’s a loving, sweet nice boy who just graduated from preschool.”

She also claimed that the statue was not protected unlike other smaller pieces of art at the community centre. Goodman hopes that her insurance company can sort this out. She claims that this was an accident and while she does not want to diminish the value of their art, she can’t pay for it.