Maryland Supreme Court to Decide Student Shooting Lawsuit Against Towson University

Court to rule if school can be held liable for 2021 on-campus party shooting incident.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 2:47pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a single spent bullet casing on a dark surface, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash, conceptually representing the aftermath of a shooting incident at an unsanctioned campus event.A spent bullet casing left behind at an unsanctioned campus party exposes the potential for violence that universities must grapple with.Towson Today

Maryland's high court will decide whether a student shot at an unsanctioned 'pop-up' party held on the Towson University campus in 2021 can sue the school. The student, Catherine Torney, claims the university was negligent and that campus police were not properly trained or supervised, leading to the shooting incident.

Why it matters

The case raises questions about a university's duty to protect students at on-campus events, even those that are not officially sanctioned. It also examines how much foreseeability is required for a school to be held liable for violent incidents on its property.

The details

Both sides agree the party took place in a common area on campus, that the school knew about it and sent police, and that the school has a duty to protect people. However, the key dispute is whether the school should have done more to intervene given the large crowd, underage drinking, and loud music. The student's lawyer argues the police stood by and did nothing, while the university claims there was no reasonable foreseeability of violence.

  • The shooting incident occurred at a 'pop-up' party on the Towson University campus in September 2021.
  • Oral arguments in the case were heard by the Maryland Supreme Court on Thursday, April 10, 2026.

The players

Catherine Torney

A Towson University student who was shot at the 2021 on-campus party and is suing the school.

Towson University

The defendant in the lawsuit, accused of negligence and failing to properly train and supervise campus police.

Joseph Cammarata

The attorney representing Catherine Torney in the lawsuit against Towson University.

Ryan Dietrich

The attorney representing Towson University in the lawsuit.

Jonathan Biran

A Maryland Supreme Court justice who questioned the arguments during the oral hearing.

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What they’re saying

“She's a student. She's in a common area. The university knows that these events happen. They're pop-up parties. In fact, one happened earlier and the police then were told to stand down by the university president and the chief of police, and they were told to stand down with respect to this pop-up party.”

— Joseph Cammarata, Attorney for Catherine Torney

“There was no indication that they knew that anyone at the party was armed. In the absence of any indication of violence or impending violence, there is no reasonable foreseeability. There's the possibility, but the possibility is not enough. It needs to be the reasonable probability and foreseeability.”

— Ryan Dietrich, Attorney for Towson University

“There's no doubt, at least as alleged, that the police were concerned about this. And, as it turns out, sadly, they had reason to be concerned at that particular time.”

— Jonathan Biran, Maryland Supreme Court Justice

What’s next

The Maryland Supreme Court will issue a ruling on whether Catherine Torney can proceed with her lawsuit against Towson University. No timeline has been provided for when the decision will be announced.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex legal questions around a university's duty to protect students at unsanctioned campus events, and how much foreseeability of violence is required to establish negligence. The outcome could set an important precedent for similar cases involving student safety at public universities.