- by Julie Tam, FOX 41 News
It has been one year since the collapse and death of a Grayson County Middle School basketball player. No court date has been set for his parents' lawsuit against the coaches. And the superintendent believes the parents won't win.
We recently saw Pleasure Ridge Park football coach Jason Stinson get acquitted in the death of player Max Gilpin. A different sport, different county, different school, different scenario... but one attorney in common.
Todd Thompson is representing Gilpin's family in the wrongful death suit against Stinson and other PRP coaches. Thompson also is representing the parents of Keith Walker, 13, of Leitchfield, Kentucky, who collapsed last October, while running drills during basketball practice and died a sudden cardiac death later at the hospital. But an autopsy showed no previous heart problems.
The Walkers' lawsuit against two coaches, Bill Lee and George Meredith, claims they acted with reckless disregard for their son's safety.
Grayson County Schools superintendent Barry Anderson says he still supports the coaches, who together have more than 40 years' experience in coaching basketball in Grayson County Schools: "The coaches did everything they could to help this little boy."
"They did not do anything wrong," the coaches' attorney, Michael Owsley, said. "He collapsed and died, and we have no idea why. They did everything how I would want my son taken care of."
Our calls to Thompson have not been returned.