Calif. School District Sued Over Boy’s Death in Gym Class

The parents of a 12-year-old boy with a heart condition who died in his gym class after several days of running in extreme heat have sued the Compton Unified School District for wrongful death.

Attorney Alex Galindo said Tuesday that the physical education teacher and school physicians at Whaley Junior High knew about Juan Faire’s heart condition, which was noted in medical records.

Additionally, four months prior to his September 2010 death, Faire fainted and injured himself while running in PE. That September, the lawsuit claims, Faire was made to run during a heat wave in which temperatures reached 107 degrees when he suffered cardiac arrest.

Compton Unified officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Galindo says officials violated federal law because they did not accommodate Faire’s disability.