Question on financial responsibility for lost property

[Soupman]

Not sure if this is the proper forum, but I didn't know where else to ask this.

In my 16 yr old son's high school photography class, the teacher has a couple of his own cameras that he loans out to students who don't have one. The students can borrow the cameras for 24 hours at a time. There is no sign out sheet, the student simply writes his name on the chalkboard.

Each time my son brought home one of the cameras, I expressed concern that there are absolutely no ownership markings or ID tags on the cameras or the camera bags. If the camera was lost or stolen, how could it ever get back to the school if it were found?

Sure enough, the camera was stolen from my son while in another class when he wasn't looking. Of course, the teacher wants us to reimburse him for the camera. My opinion is that the teacher was negligent in failing to properly mark the camera, which prevents it from being returned if found, so he should accept partial blame and share in the cost of replacement.

Agree or disagree?

Also, I did not give the school or this teacher my permission to loan my son an expensive camera.

The teacher should have insurance and he normally cannot hold children liable after he loans it out.