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Justice could be in order for Imani Bell, a charter school student who died two years ago after she collapsed while performing practice drills outside in extreme temperatures.
The incident occurred at Elite Scholar Academy in Georgia’s Clayton County area under the supervision of the school’s coaches Larosa Walker-Asekere and Dwight Palmer. Both have been indicted on counts of second-degree murder, second-degree child cruelty, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless conduct, WSB-TV reported.
Authorities say the 16-year-old, who suffered from both hyperthermia and rhabdomyolysis, was forced to play in the harsh Georgia heat on August 13, 2019. Bell’s family argues in the wrongful death suit that both Walker-Asekere and Palmer witnessed Imani “experiencing early signs of heat illness” but still forced the young teen to participate in drill practice even pushing her to “run up the stadium steps.”
The Bell family’s attorney Justin Miller stated that it was between “96 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heat index put the temperature at between 101 and 106 degrees,” on the day of the tragic incident according to The Sun.
“The assistant coach saw Imani struggling and how hot it was and did not stop the practice,” he added.
The Bell Family is seeking justice for Imani and for her mother Dorian Bell, it’s about finding closure with regards to what truly caused her daughter’s unexpected passing.
“We just want closure in this situation. This happened on August 13, 2019. It is 2021,” she said during a press conference back in February, according to The Sun article.
“I have never heard the whole story. I haven’t heard everything at this point. We need that — that is a part of our healing.”
“More than anything I don’t want this to happen to anybody else’s child,” Dorian added.
