<p>Another lawyer here…agree that your D should not pay anything. However, an offer to pay is NOT an admission of fault. To encourage settlement, the law prohibits use of settlement offers as evidence of admission of fault. A student-run court may not follow those rules, but I’m sure it would understand a simple statement that “I just wanted it to go away, so I made him an offer hoping it would. He pressed for more money, and insisted it was all my fault and so I said no.” </p>
<p>I would discourage the parental conference. Personally, I think that’s a bad idea. Sometimes the apple doen’t fall far from the tree. If you insist on a parental conference, two things may happen: (1)the parents may end up being witnesses for their kid, saying you said all sorts of things in that conversation and (2) it will go over like a lead balloon in a student court. The students may think your D was really at fault–cord clearly visible, etc.–but won’t admit it because of mommy and daddy. </p>
<p>I would try to find witnesses and ask them to sign their names to a simple statement describing what happened. I would also suggest taking a photograph of physical setting, showing where the outlet is in relation to the door, the absence of outlets near the table, etc. Just in case…</p>
<p>And I think email is fine–IF CAREFULLY WORDED.</p>