Parent raises safety concerns about Urban Air waiver; district attorney to review

A parent told the Sewanhaka Central High School District board on May 27 she declined to sign a permission slip for an upcoming eighth-grade trip to Urban Air Trampoline Park because the vendor waiver contained language she found alarming, including broad releases of liability and nondisclosure provisions.

Karen Milazzo said she is in a WhatsApp group of eighth-grade parents and that a shared copy of the waiver included statements that participants "acknowledge that there are inherent risks and injuries that may occur, including but not limited to equipment malfunction, defective design or manufacture, improper or negligent installation of equipment, negligent maintenance of equipment, error of judgment by employees," and that the document appeared to require parents to waive the right to hold parties accountable for injury or death.

"What motivation does this business have to keep their employees properly trained or their equipment safely maintained?" Milazzo asked.

The superintendent replied that she and the district attorney would "give it our immediate attention" and would resolve the matter "immediately" without a negative outcome for students. She asked for 24 hours to pause and review the waiver and said the district would inform the building principal and the parents about how it would proceed.

Milazzo said she had not told her child she had not sent the permission slip and asked for guidance; the superintendent said the district attorney and central office would review the waiver language and follow up with the parent and the school.

The transcript does not record the district attorney speaking directly at the meeting.