WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — The University of Kentucky has agreed to a settlement of more than $14 million over the death of a student wrestler hours after practice, the school announced.
The settlement in the death of Grant Brace, 20, of Louisville, Tenn., includes an agreement for Cumberland University to participate in a training program to treat heat illness and promote awareness of heat-related injuries, the university said Wednesday. in the statement.
Brace’s death on Aug. 31, 2020, from heatstroke after he asked for water and was denied, “was tragic and entirely avoidable,” according to news outlets citing the lawsuit.
“They did it and they didn’t care,” Grant’s father, Kyle Brace, told Good Morning America. – They didn’t care.
“It ended up killing him,” said his mother, Jackie Brace.
According to the lawsuit, Brace was diagnosed with narcolepsy and ADHD and was prescribed Adderall, which required him to stay hydrated.
He died during the wrestling team’s first practice of the season. After practice, the team had to run up and down a steep hill several times, and Brace completed several before sitting down from exhaustion. The coach at the time threatened to kick Brace off the wrestling team, so he ran up the hill again and was later heard saying, “I’m done. I can’t do this anymore,” the lawsuit states.
He asked for water and his condition continued to deteriorate, but the coaches did not provide water or contact the coach or emergency medical services, the lawsuit states. Brace left and tried to drink from the outdoor water fountain, which wasn’t working.
A surveillance video shot provided by ABC News shows Grant Brace trying to get into the locked building before the death.
Surveillance video shared with ABC News by the family’s attorney shows Brace struggling to open a locked door inside the wrestling house. About an hour later, he was found about 300 yards away, not far from a malfunctioning fountain that had collapsed.
About 45 minutes later, trainers found him dead with his hands pinned in the grass and dirt, according to the suit.
“He was on all fours and he dug his hands into the dirt and he had fistfuls of dirt,” his father said. – It’s already late.
A series of voice memos left on Brace’s phone that documented other alleged abuses from the wrestling department dating back to the previous season played a role in the incident.
He can be heard saying, “Grant’s daily blog for mom and dad, in case something bad happens to me.”
“You started to see the picture that this wasn’t just one case that went wrong,” said the family’s attorney, Jamie Monkus. “It was a model.”
In a statement, the university said it believes it can defend the claims made in the lawsuit, but a lawsuit would be lengthy and expensive.
“The university has decided to settle the case now in a way that it hopes will respect the tremendous loss of the Brace family,” the statement said.
It said student-athlete safety is a top priority, and it “welcomes the opportunity to work with the Brace family advisor to ensure he provides the safest possible environment for student-athletes in all sports.”
Brace’s parents said the settlement was not about money, but about holding the university accountable.
ABC News’ Em Nguyen contributed to this report.
Grant Brace death: University of Cumberland agrees to settlement after wrestler dies of heat stroke after asking for water
Source link Grant Brace death: University of Cumberland agrees to settlement after wrestler dies of heat stroke after asking for water