Term paper confusion sparks child abuse inquiry and $839,00 damages.

ST. JOHN'S -- An improperly footnoted term paper by a social work student and hasty action by Memorial University of Newfoundland professors caused a serious child abuse investigation. The result is an $839,400 judgement against the university. Both sides are appealing the decision.

Ten years ago Wanda Young was a third-year student at the university who, in the final paper for her social work course, appended a first-person account about juvenile sex offenders. The appended copy was not properly foot-noted leading her professor, Leslie Bella, to believe that the first hand account was a "cry for help" rather than reference material.

Bella, along with the then director of the school's social work department, ignored advice given by child protection workers and an administrator in her department to meet with Young to discuss her suspicions directly. Instead, a report was filed with authorities causing Young's applications for work in the field to be red-tagged until in 1996 she was contacted by a case worker. The two and a half year delay between Young submitting her final paper for a school project to talking to the case worker stemmed from a series of delays at the child welfare department.

The problem was quickly resolved once Young became aware that she was the subject of an investigation by showing the caseworker the reference book from which she had taken the appended account.

However, the rumors about Wanda Young lasted until October of this year, a six-person Newfoundland Supreme Court jury found that the university and its professors were negligent in making the report of suspected child abuse. They also found them to have breached "the duty of care" owed to students when they report. The breach resulted in her "pain, suffering, loss of reputation and loss of enjoyment of life."

The award is based on Young's projected earnings if she had continued in social work even though she was never admitted to the school of social work.

In its appeal MUN claims that the judge erred by allowing the jury to rule on other aspects of the case after he concluded that there had been no defamation. Young is also appealing her award asking for an increased settlement to cover interest from the previous verdict and her legal costs.