Va. Tech offering payment to families

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Tech will offer the families of the 32 students and faculty members slain by Seung Hui Cho a one-time payment of $180,000 from a fund created to receive private donations in the weeks after the April 16 massacre, the administrator of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund said Wednesday.

The administrator, Kenneth Feinberg, of Bethesda, Md., said the university plans to distribute the entire $7.1 million fund to the families of those killed as well as to the 27 people wounded in Norris Hall.

Those who were wounded will receive $40,000 to $90,000 apiece, depending on the severity of their injuries, as well as free tuition at Virginia Tech.

Some of the relatives of slain students, who plan to meet this weekend, appeared unimpressed by Feinberg’s decision on how to distribute the memorial fund.

“It was expected. We’ve got to take a look at it and decide if there is going to be a response or not,” said Joseph Samaha, of Centreville, Va., whose daughter Reema was killed in Norris Hall.

The announcement is the latest development in tense discussions between university officials and some family members over how much money they should receive to compensate them for their losses and cover outstanding bills.

Several relatives of slain and wounded Virginia Tech students believe the school was negligent in its response to the tragedy and have said they think they are entitled to more money in addition to the disbursements from the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. Some have suggested a taxpayer-financed compensation fund, which Democratic Gov. Timothy Kaine and Virginia legislators said they will consider.