BURNED STUDENT'S FAMILY FILES SUIT; DISTRICT, INSTRUCTOR BLAMED IN BLOW-UP.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

A second former Hart High School student who was burned when a physics experiment on campus went awry has brought a civil lawsuit against the William S. Hart Union High School District and his physics teacher, claiming negligence, dangerous condition of public property and ultra-hazardous activity.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month on behalf of Nolan Lemar, is the second legal action alleging negligence against the district and the teacher after the failed experiment Nov. 25.

Christopher James, 18, filed a lawsuit alleging negligence against the district and physics teacher Thomas Magee on Feb. 23 after suffering life-threatening burns to his face, arms and hands. Both Lemar and James were engulfed in flames during a class demonstration on velocity, a physics experiment conducted on the Hart football field.

Magee's students had crafted juice cans into makeshift cannons and poured in liquid methanol. When the fuel was ignited, a tennis ball was supposed to be propelled. Instead, in this case, the fuel exploded, burning more than 50 percent of James' body and searing his windpipe. James had inhaled the burned methanol used in the experiment and couldn't breathe.

Lemar suffered burns to his face and chest, and a third student, Jesse Honea, was treated and released from a hospital after suffering from respiratory difficulty.

Both the James and Lemar families declined Thursday to comment about their cases while they are pending.

District Superintendent Robert Lee said he was aware that Lemar had filed a lawsuit, adding that both cases are paralleling each other.

``I know the depositions have been taken, and that's really where my knowledge is as far as the process,'' he said.

Magee is still employed at the school in his second probationary year, Lee said.

Both lawsuits seek medical-related expenses.

Lemar is planning to attend College of the Canyons in the next school year and continues to suffer from burns on his neck and the left portion of his head, said his father, Dean.

Chris James, who has undergone numerous skin-grafting surgeries, underwent back-to-back procedures last week, said his mother, Carolyn.

``He's got a long road ahead of him,'' she said. Her son still has limited use of his hands and goes to therapy three times a week at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital. She said her son was doing fine and will postpone college while he is recovering.

``Chris keeps us laughing. . . . He keeps everyone going,'' she said. ``He's got a good spirit.''