Retired Utah State Supreme Court Chief Justice Joins McCluskey Legal Team

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Utah Supreme Court Cheif Justice Christine Durham, who spent 35 years on the state’s highest court before retiring in 2017, has joined the legal team representing the McCluskeys in a lawsuit against the University of Utah over the murder of student-athlete Lauren McCluskey.

Durham has ties to the University of Utah, including her husband’s grandfather, who was its president.

But she said this case is about protecting women, and that’s why she decided to join the team.

“This case represents a profound injustice done not just to an individual and her family, but also every student particularly to the women student on the campus of the University of Utah,” Durham said.

Lauren McCluskey, 21, was shot and killed on campus near her dorm by her ex-boyfriend, 37-year-old Melvin Rowland in October 2018.

All along, McCluskey’s parents have said university police ignored her calls for help and in June, they filed a $56 million lawsuit saying the University of Utah did not take responsibility for their daughter’s death.

In September, the university filed a motion to dismiss the case.

On Monday, McCluskey’s team filed its own motion to not have the case dismissed.

The parents said this is not about money — but about change.

“We are not interested in any sort of personal profit or vendetta but rather we just want to make the system safer for everyone. Especially young women,” said Matt McCluskey.

The McCluskeys and their attorneys said it all comes down to the university still not taking responsibility.

“They aren’t taking responsibility for what happened and I think it’s very hard to change when you don’t admit you’ve done something wrong, to actually make things right and move forward,” said Jill McCluskey. “We are continuing to say her name and try and make change in her name.”