BRANDON, Miss. (WJTV) – Attorney Ben Crump has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the parents of a Brandon High School football player, who died during practice in August 2022.

Crump said 17-year-old Phillip “Trey” Laster, Jr., died from heat exhaustion during the first day of practice. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, names Rankin County School District, which oversees Brandon High School, as the sole defendant.

“No child should ever be in danger of losing their life in pursuit of a passion, especially under the supervision and instruction of adults who should know when to stop pushing these young athletes,” said Crump. “Trey’s tragic death could have been, and should have been, prevented by those in charge, and shows a troubling lack of adherence to guidelines surrounding heat exhaustion prevention.” 

The lawsuit stated Laster’s death occurred during the hottest part of the day with a heat index of 103 degrees. According to the complaint, the teen began exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion while he was running, and he passed out.

The lawsuit claims his coaches failed to properly adjust the training to the environment and Laster’s high risk factors. Crump said the teen, who was 6’1″ and weighed 328 pounds, was at a higher risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

The attorney said the football players had not gone through a proper two-week acclimatization to the heat as required by school and athletic association guidelines. The complaint stated the school did not have any exertional heat stroke (EHS) preventive measures on the field and did not being implementing any common EHS prevention procedures.