Dad and mom of highschool athlete who died working towards in excessive warmth settle lawsuit for $10 million

As a part of the settlement, the Clayton County college system agreed to rename the gymnasium at Elite Students Academy for Imani Bell, who was a 16-year-old junior on the college when she died. A ceremony was set to be held Tuesday afternoon to commemorate that renaming, the household’s attorneys mentioned.

Imani’s father, Eric Bell, referred to as the renaming of the fitness center a “nice honor,” however mentioned the settlement is “bittersweet.”

“We’d commerce every part to have her again right here with us,” he mentioned in a cellphone interview.

Imani collapsed on Aug. 13, 2019, after operating up the soccer stadium steps throughout required conditioning drills for the ladies’ basketball staff, her household mentioned within the wrongful loss of life lawsuit filed towards directors on the college. The temperature was within the excessive 90s Fahrenheit (greater than 35 levels Celsius) on the time and the world was underneath a warmth advisory.

Imani died later that day from heat-related cardiac arrest and kidney failure, the lawsuit mentioned. An post-mortem accomplished by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation discovered that she had no preexisting circumstances and her loss of life was due solely to heatstroke brought on by strenuous bodily exertion in excessive temperatures, the household’s attorneys mentioned.

Two coaches, Larosa Walker-Asekere and Dwight Palmer, have been indicted in July 2021 on expenses together with homicide and baby cruelty in Imani’s loss of life. That felony case is ongoing.

Imani’s mother and father filed a wrongful loss of life lawsuit in February 2021. On-line court docket data present that go well with was settled final month. An lawyer for the household, L. Chris Stewart, mentioned the numerous settlement quantity sends a message to different college districts.

“It sends a nationwide message to each college district and each athletic program … that the lives of our kids matter over athletics, and each district wants to understand that no baby ought to die from warmth exhaustion,” he mentioned. “We salute Clayton County for sending that message nationwide.”

The household has began the Preserve Imani Basis, which their attorneys mentioned will probably be funded partially by funds from the settlement. Eric Bell mentioned it’ll provide scholarships for college students and can assist colleges get chilly tubs to assist forestall warmth stroke deaths.

Bell mentioned he desires to ship a message to highschool officers: “Preserve educating coaches, maintain educating college students in regards to the risks of warmth and humidity, and attempt to be ready for a state of affairs like this.”