The Oregonian | By Jayati Ramakrishnan | October 23, 2019
The family of a man who was found dead after a concert at the Oregon Zoo in August is suing, alleging that the zoo, a contracting company and the music group he went to watch did not maintain safe conditions, and ultimately caused the man’s death.
The family of Carl Stanley Ross is asking for $5.4 million in damages, as well as a jury trial. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, names several defendants, including Metro, the regional agency that oversees the zoo; George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic (sic); Lease Crutcher Lewis contracting company and 25 “John Does,” which the suit lists as “yet-to-be-identified” people from various organizations, who the family believes share responsibility for causing Ross’ death.
On Aug. 10, Ross, 62, went with a friend to the Oregon Zoo to see George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic perform. Ross never returned home after the concert. That night, Ross’ family said his friend reported him missing to zoo security.
On Aug. 12, a worker discovered Ross’ body in the site of the zoo’s new rhino habitat. That exhibit is under construction, and there were no animals in it, Portland police said.
Portland Police Officer Carlos Ibarra said the case remains open, as the police department is waiting for results from the medical examiner’s office to determine a cause of death.
Lawyer Michael Fuller, whose firm is representing Ross’ family, said the family hired a private investigator. He said he believes Ross might have fallen, which might have contributed to his death.
Fuller said there was a storm the night of the concert which sent people scattering. He said Ross’ friend believes he disappeared around that time. Fuller said the friend, whose name he did not know, attempted to tell several people about Ross’ disappearance.
The complaint levels similar charges against the zoo, Lease Crutcher Lewis and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Among the allegations, the family says that all three agencies didn’t use reasonable care in the design and layout of their respective exhibits at the zoo, didn’t properly supervise and train their employees to ensure that guests didn’t enter dangerous and secluded areas of the zoo and didn’t provide adequate warnings about potentially dangerous or secluded areas of the zoo.
The Oregon Zoo did not immediately return requests for comment. But in August, zoo representative Hova Najarian said the construction site wasn’t accessible from the concert lawn during the show and was surrounded by fencing and pedestrian barriers.
“We do not know how Mr. Ross made his way there or how he got inside the habitat,” Najarian said.
Najarian also said in August that the zoo was interviewing all staff and volunteers who worked the event to learn more about what could have happened.
In a news release from Aug. 23, the zoo says it had no record of Ross being reported missing to zoo security the night of the concert.
The statement says zoo security was notified of Ross’ disappearance the following night, Aug. 11, and the zoo security manager sent a description of Ross to staff, asking them to be on the lookout. Security guards did not report seeing anyone during their closing rounds.
The news release said security staff wouldn’t have found Ross during their nightly rounds because the construction zone where his body was found is off limits to zoo staff.
