A charter school has agreed to pay a six-figure settlement for over five years, putting an end to a lawsuit filed after a 2024 Zozobra-style burn left a student seriously injured.
The Academy for Technology and the Classics agreed to pay about $39,941.75 every year for five years to the daughter of Jerome and Ambra Baca. The charter school decided on a virtual settlement hearing on Wednesday in the state District Court. Payments will commence four years from now when the child turns 18.
The case stemmed from an August 30, 2024 school event in Santa Fe. During the event, a 15-foot effigy modeled after “Old Man Gloom” was burned on campus, hours before the well-known annual Zozobra at Fort Marcy Park.
In a lawsuit filed in April 2025, the Bacas held the school responsible after their 12-year-old daughter suffered second-degree burns, permanent scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder in a sudden flare-up during the event. The complaint alleged “a large flash of fire and flame” burned the girl’s hair, ear, chest, neck, left arm, and hand.
The lawsuit described a series of alleged safety lapses. It alleged that the school failed to secure a burn permit and did not place fire suppression equipment near the effigy. It also alleged that the respondent allowed a ninth-grade student to handle accelerants, lighters, and fireworks to ignite the structure in the absence of adult supervision.
According to the Bacas, the incident turned from bad to worse when the student poured a liquid accelerant from a gallon container onto the burning effigy. The act had triggered the flash that injured the girl and others nearby.
The complaint said the victim suffered injuries that caused her significant pain, emotional distress, and ongoing medical needs. It sought damages and costs for the court to determine during the trial.
Jason Morgan, principal of the Academy for Technology and the Classics, did not respond to requests for comment when the complainants filed the lawsuit.
The settlement brought the case to a close without a trial.
