The mom of a 13-year-old high-school basketball participant who drowned within the East River whereas watching an after-school soccer recreation is suing the town, claiming it did not supervise her son.
Laquana Badger Godfrey, the mother of tragic Kavion Brown Godfrey, says her son’s drowning in October was a results of “gross negligence” by the Division of Training, the Public Faculty Athletic League and a supervising coach, in line with the swimsuit — which follows a discover of declare suggesting the household would search $40 million.
“It’s like every day you’re dwelling in a nightmare,” Godfrey just lately advised The Publish, almost a 12 months after her first-born baby died.
“I’m in disbelief, I’m in ache, and my coronary heart is totally damaged,” she mentioned. “I noticed my son that Friday morning when he left for college, after which I haven’t seen my son once more alive.
“Any individual must be held accountable. My son is lifeless, and no one has solutions.”
The town declined to touch upon the newly filed swimsuit.
On Oct. 20, Godfrey had gotten a name from Kavion, a freshman at Decrease East Facet Preparatory Faculty, asking if he might go along with his basketball staff to observe the varsity’s soccer staff play at a close-by park.
The mother of 4 boys didn’t give her OK till after Kavion handed the cellphone to hoops coach Joseph Asad, who can be a named defendant in her lawsuit.
“‘Don’t fear,’” Godfrey recounted the coach promising. “‘Kavion goes to be with us, we’re touring as a bunch.’”
Coach Joe then introduced Kavion and his basketball staff to observe the after-school soccer match on the John V. Lindsay East River Park Monitor, simply blocks from the younger teen’s Alphabet Metropolis dwelling.
However regardless of the coach’s promise, the 13-year-old boy was “left unsupervised close to the waters adjoining to the park, the place he tragically drowned,” the swimsuit claims.
“He was nowhere to be discovered,” Godfrey mentioned of the coach.
“My son wasn’t with you, and it finally led to my son’s demise,” she mentioned, addressing Asad.
Kavion’s physique was discovered 2 miles downriver every week later.
His dad and mom each blamed the DOE for his demise final 12 months as police have been nonetheless combing the river for his physique.
Asad didn’t reply to Publish messages left on numbers listed underneath his title.
“Kavion was a respectful, well-mannered, good younger man, and he had plenty of issues going for himself,” Godfrey advised The Publish.
His three youthful brothers all appeared as much as him as a job mannequin and have been devastated since his demise, the mother mentioned.
“My son was my world, and now I don’t have my son,” Godfrey mentioned.
Godfrey mentioned that along with financial damages, she’s nonetheless determined for solutions and closure. No person from the town has spoken to her since her son’s demise, and even police investigators demurred when pressed for data, she advised The Publish.
“Since this occurred, I can’t even permit my youngsters to go on [DOE] journeys as a result of I don’t belief the protection,” Godfrey mentioned.
Certainly one of her boys, a fifth-grader, requested if he might join the soccer staff at college. She mentioned no.
“I don’t belief the DOE anymore,” Godfrey mentioned.
“A father or mother whose baby is underneath the supervision of the DOE has to have the ability to depend on guarantees made by academics, coaches and directors,” mentioned Godfrey’s legal professionals, Sandy Rubenstein and Mark Shirian, in a press release.
“Right here, the coach promised he can be with the kid, supervise the kid — clearly he didn’t do this. This tragedy by no means would have occurred if he stored his promise to this grieving mom.”
In her discover of declare — a authorized precursor to submitting a lawsuit towards a metropolis company — Godfrey states she intends to sue for $40 million, though her lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Courtroom doesn’t title a selected greenback determine.
However above all, she mentioned, she desires accountability for what occurred to her first-born son. And for what occurred to her to by no means occur to a different baby.
“There must be some sort of accountability as a result of we belief the DOE after we go away our kids’s lives in your arms, after which for one among your youngsters to not come dwelling — It’s devastating,” she advised The Publish.
“I’m so unhappy about this as a result of one thing has to occur.”
Supply hyperlink
