Self-Defense Nightmare: A Lesson In Self-Defense Gone Wrong
Jesus Emmanuel Jehovah, Student #32643727
Liberty University
GOVT280: Undergraduate Torts, Autumn 2023
Professor Jennifer Riedthaler-Williams
Due Date: September 25, 2023; Extension Granted
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I. Introduction
Some well-intended efforts can wreak severe harm, giving rise to liability and a multitude
of claims against those involved. This is what happened when self-defense instructor Jack Bond
decided to give his students a real-life learning experience. Specifically, while working for a
local community recreation center and unbeknownst to his class, Bond secretly paid actress
Christie Steeple to enter one of his classes and attack him. The plan was for Bond to use such
staged fake attack to show his class how to defend themselves in a real-world setting. When the
plan was executed, Steeple entered a class, immediately screamed at Bond that he was a “no
good man” and “was going to get what he had coming to him,” and then charged at Bond and
began choking him. Before Bond could demonstrate his self-defense techniques, new student
Kelly Knight ran forward and tried to stab Steeple with a pencil to protect Bond, but missed and
ended up stabbing fellow student Larry Lark in the leg. Meanwhile, student Bob Eagen (who
attended class for several months) used a technique to throw Steeple to the ground and in doing
so broke her arm. Student Sandy Slep was so scared at what she thought was an actual attack that
she fled the building, sprinted across the street, and was struck by a car and instantly killed.
Other students were so afraid they cowered in corners screaming and sobbing and needed months
of intense counseling to regain their confidence. Given this series of tragic events, Bond’s well-
intended yet poorly planned lesson went awry, but did such give rise to claims against any of the
parties involved? Hereinafter, this question is answered as it relates to specific parties in such
incident and claims they may have against other involved parties.
II. Does Steeple have a successful claim against Bond and, if so, on what basis?
Steeple has a viable claim against Bond for negligence based on her being a commercial
