The United States Supreme Court decided today not to take on the appellate court's ruling, which stated that Texas A&M officials are not liable for the 12 deaths and 27 injuries in the Bonfire collapse of 1999, according to Associated Press reports.
The Supreme Court's decision lets the ruling of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stand. In April, the appellate court ruled that officials at Texas A&M are not liable and cannot be held responsible for death and injuries from the Bonfire collapse in 1999.
The deaths and injuries took place when the 59-foot-high stack of more than 5,000 logs collapsed when the construction of the Bonfire was taking place in November 1999.
The defendants named in the case included former University president Ray Bowen, J. Malon Southerland, the former vice president of student affairs; William Kibler, former interim vice president for student affairs and professor; Russell Thompson, Bonfire adviser in 1999; and John J. Koldus, III.
The tradition of Boonfire dates back to 1909 when the first Bonfire was held. The event takes place on the eve of Texas A&M's annual football game against the University of Texas.
Since the 1999 collapse, the Bonfire tradition has been continued off campus by students and alumni, independent from University oversight.
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