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Parents seek change after teen's death
Nearly two years after the tragic death of 16-year-old Christopher Aiden Garcia, his family is taking legal action against LAUSD.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Nearly two years after the tragic death of 16-year-old Christopher Aiden Garcia, his family is taking legal action against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
According to his family, Garcia, who was a junior varsity football player at South East High School, had been asked to participate in a varsity game on Aug. 23, 2024. During the game, the family and their legal team state that Christopher executed what they describe as a "textbook defensive tackle." However, his head struck the ground during the play, resulting in a catastrophic brain injury, his family says.
Despite undergoing emergency medical treatment, Christopher passed away 11 days later.
"He was the funniest kid you’ll ever meet. He was so sweet, caring," his sister Kimberly Garcia said as she wiped away tears at a press conference on Monday. Now, two years after the devastating loss, the family firmly believes Christopher would still be alive today had certain safety measures and protocols been enforced.
What we know:
The family and their legal team allege that the school district failed to "provide safe facilities, proper equipment, and adequate supervision."
"There are many things that increased the risk beyond the normal types of risks that are involved in playing contact football," said Kent Henderson, an attorney representing the family. "There were issues with how hard the field was and what the standards are for being able to play on a football field like that."
Beyond the physical state of the field, Henderson highlighted serious concerns regarding concussion protocol.
"He had a previous concussion, and the way they carried him, and the way they allowed him to even play was another factor," Henderson said.
What they're saying:
Christopher’s family says taking legal action is also about preventing other parents or siblings from experiencing the same loss.
"Our main thing is we just don’t want this to happen to anybody else," Christopher’s brother said during Monday’s press conference. "It’s terrible."
While not involved with the lawsuit, Dr. David Gazzaniga, division chief of sports medicine at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, cautions parents whose children want to get into football or other contact sports at a very early age before they even enter high school.
"The earlier you get exposed to contact, the worse it is for you over the course of time," Dr. Gazzaniga cautioned.
Dr. Gazzaniga emphasized that while gear improvements help, protective equipment cannot fully safeguard players against high-impact head injuries. He said coaching, especially for youth teams, should prioritize proper technique over hard tackling. "There’s no equipment that’s going to override bad technique or unfortunate situations," he added.
The other side:
FOX 11 reached out to LAUSD for comment regarding the allegations and the claims made in the lawsuit. A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson said, "Los Angeles Unified does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation."