Los Angeles family of high school football player files wrongful death lawsuit against LAUSD

The family of Christopher Garcia, a 16-year-old junior varsity football player at South East High School, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), alleging that the district's failures led to his death. The lawsuit contends that the district did not provide safe facilities, proper equipment, or adequate supervision, and that these failures contributed to Garcia's fatal brain injury.

The Incident

According to the family's attorneys, Garcia suffered the injury in 2024 during a defensive tackle in a game. They released footage of the play, which shows Garcia tackling a receiver before his head struck the field. He was later placed into a medically induced coma and died 11 days later.

Garcia's sister, Kimberly Garcia, spoke on behalf of the family, saying, "We want justice... it's completely unfair my brother lost his life due to the negligence of the school district." She added that the family watched the last play from the stands and described her brother lying unconscious before they ran across the field. She also said it took five to six days for a coach and the school principal to visit the hospital.

Attorney Ken Hendersson, representing the family, said the death was due to multiple factors, including field conditions, previous concussions, and helmet issues. He noted that the field may not have been in compliance and that natural grass can harden, especially since the game took place in August. The attorneys characterized the play as a "textbook play" that still caused a massive concussion and brain injury.

District's Response

LAUSD has responded to the allegations. The district stated that under its policy, games cannot be played without qualified medical personnel present. In a statement, the district said that at the time of the incident, two medical staff members were on site and both immediately provided medical attention. The family disputed this statement, arguing that an ambulance should have been on site, and claimed that none was present.

In a statement to ABC7, LAUSD said it "does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation."

Legal and Medical Context

The family's claim highlights concerns about the safety of high school football, including the adequacy of medical response during game play. LAUSD's policy requires qualified medical personal at games, a requirement that the family contends was not upheld. Hendersson also noted that LAUSD still has possession of the helmet that Garcia was wearing, which could be relevant to the investigation.

The lawsuit seeks to hold the district accountable for what the family describes as negligence, and the case will likely examine whether the district met its obligations in providing a safe environment for student athletes.