During a practice at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky, Grant Brace, 20, allegedly collapsed and died after pleading for water. His family has filed a lawsuit over this incident. The family of a student wrestler who died of heat stroke following a practice in August 2020 has settled a lawsuit against a university in Kentucky for $14 million.
According to a complaint filed by Grant Brace’s family, the 20-year-old wrestler from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, some 100 miles south of Lexington, passed only a few hours after pleading for water during practice.
Mr. Brace’s parents, Kyle and Jacqueline Brace, and his sister, Kaylee Wagnon, were represented by an attorney who expressed “relieved and very satisfied” at the University being held liable in a civil case.
The lawyer, James Moncus, wrote in an email-
“The amount of money paid clearly sends a message about the level of wrongdoing, not only by the coaches, but the university itself.”
The University said it was confident in its ability to defend itself against the family’s claims in the case but preferred to avoid a “long, stressful, and costly” legal battle. The University of the Cumberlands chancellor, Jerry Jackson, said Mr. Brace was “a talented, well-liked young man entering his junior year with a bright future ahead of him.”
Mr. Jackson said-
“Our University community continues to mourn his untimely loss.“We sincerely hope that resolving this matter early in the legal process will offer the Brace family a measure of peace and healing.”
According to university records, Mr. Brace was originally from Louisville, Tennessee, studying business administration. He had attended Alcoa High School and graduated after participating in wrestling, football, and the National Honor Society there.
According to the lawsuit filed by his family, Mr. Brace’s doctors had prescribed Adderall to treat his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. He needed to maintain adequate hydration while taking the prescription.
The lawsuit claims that the University promised to accommodate his need for water and his medical condition. The suit claims that on August 31, 2020, the school’s wrestling team began practice by running on a track before being ordered to rush up and down “punishment hill” seven times.
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According to the National Weather Service, that day’s temperature was 83 degrees at the London-Corbin Airport, roughly 30 miles from the campus. Mr. Brace called it quits during the sprints, claiming he was out of energy. The suit said that when the player complained, coach Jordan Countryman told him he had been dismissed from the squad and should return to the wrestling room.
Mr. Brace began his sprint again but soon stopped and declared he couldn’t go on. Mr. Countryman’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday(March 18, 2023), and he is no longer a coach at the University.