Notre Dame Releases Report on Student's Death

'No one acted in disregard for safety' leading up to Declan Sullivan's death, administrators said Monday

Notre Dame University administrators on Monday released the results of its internal investigation into the death of a student videographer.
 
Declan Sullivan, 20, of Long Grove, was shooting video of football practice from atop a hydraulic scissor lift  when he fell last October during a windstorm. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts exceeded 50 mph at the time of the accident.

Schools officials said Monday that "no one acted in disregard for safety" leading up to Sullivan's death, and the school "reacted on the best information available at the time."

Last month, Indiana’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined the university $77,500, saying the school was not following safety guidelines that could have saved Sullivan. 

The university disagreed with part of the ruling and recently filed a notice of contest to give the school more time to discuss the ruling among administrators and with IOSHA.

Earlier this month, the university filed paperwork to appeal the ruling.

Administrators expressed sympathy for Sullivan's family on Monday, saying that in the end, the school failed to keep him safe and "we will live with that for the rest of our lives."  

Sullivan was a film student beginning his junior year.

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