The Rankin County School District is facing legal action from the parents of football player Phillip “Trey” Laster of Brandon, who passed away in 2022 due to a cardiac arrhythmia following a collapse during practice.
Phillip and Ashanta Laster, Laster’s parents, filed the case in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on January 11. It identifies the Rankin County School District, which oversees Brandon High School, as the single defendant.
The Laster family has recruited Benjamin Crump, a civil rights and catastrophic personal injury attorney. Trey Laster, 17, died after falling during afternoon football practice on August 1, 2022. According to the Rankin County coroner’s report received by the Clarion-Ledger, Laster died from cardiac arrhythmia.
“No child should ever be in danger of losing their life in pursuit of a passion, especially under the supervision and instruction of adults who should know when to stop pushing these young athletes,” Crump said in a news release. “Trey’s tragic death could have been, and should have been, prevented by those in charge, and shows a troubling lack of adherence to guidelines surrounding heat exhaustion prevention.”
Laster died during the warmest period of the day. According to the lawsuit, as soon as the 17-year-old arrived for his first football session of the season, his coaches began assigning him wind sprints.
You can also check out the articles that are listed below:
- Twitter’s Ex-CEO Vs Elon Musk: Twitter Execs File Lawsuit for $1 Million in Unpaid Legal Fees
- Warner Bros Discovery Files Lawsuit Against Paramount Over Streaming Rights to South Park
- Jamie Foxx Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged 2015 Incident
Laster began to exhibit indicators of heat exhaustion while jogging, including tripping, dizziness, and nausea, according to the lawsuit. Finally, as mentioned in the complaint, Laster vomited and passed out as a result of the extreme conditions and his coaches’ failure to adequately adapt the training to the climate and his high-risk factors.
According to the lawsuit, because it was the first day of practice, the football players had not had two weeks to acclimate to the heat. Laster, a 6-foot-1, 328-pound lineman, had an increased risk of heat exhaustion and stroke.
According to the complaint, when Trey passed out on the field, the school had no exertional heat stroke (EHS) preventive measures in place. It had not begun implementing any conventional EHS prevention protocols.
According to the complaint, school district officials placed Laster in the back of a pickup truck, which only elevated his body temperature. According to the complaint, Laster died shortly after due to inadequate heat prevention and reaction.
“Just days before Trey’s death, the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), of which the Rankin County School District is a member, provided numerous warnings of EHS, identified the risks to lower the chances of EHS, and provided specific instructions on the type of EHS preventive measures that are best to be present at each practice and sporting event,” according to the lawsuit.
In conclusion, After the sad death of Trey Laster too soon, the lawsuit against Rankin County School District starts. The case, which Benjamin Crump led, shows that football practice wasn’t properly protected from heat. The scary event makes it clear that strict safety measures are needed and calls into question the guidance of young athletes who are following their dreams. The case is trying to get justice for Trey’s death, which could have been avoided. It also stresses how important it is to follow safety rules in high school sports.