GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A heartbroken Georgia family is now suing school leaders and athletics staff at Gainesville High School after their loved one died following a batting cage accident last year.
Jeremy Medina was hit in the head with a bat after he accidentally leaned into the batting cage net during hitting drills at the team's indoor facility on Nov. 20. After a month spent fighting for his life, he was declared brain dead and later died.
He was a senior who played pitcher and catcher on Gainesville High School's baseball team in 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Jeremy's parents are asking for damages of at least nearly $725,000 and a jury trial for the school officials' alleged negligence and claiming a wrongful death.
The suit names the principal, assistant principal, athletics director, assistant athletics director, athletics trainer, head baseball coach, director of baseball operations, assistant baseball coaches and other employees.
Documents gave more details about what happened on the day of the incident.
The lawsuit stated that the baseball season did not officially start until January 15, but the baseball coaching staff decided to call in a mandatory practice. Parents allege the practice was "illegal" and violated the Georgia High School Association's code.
His parents allege that the practice was unsupervised with no employees or adults. It took over three minutes for an adult to arrive after the incident and over seven minutes for the school's athletics trainer to begin CPR, the suit alleged.
The athletics trainer was unable to access the defibrillator because they did not have access to the key to the AED, according to the lawsuit.
Someone called 911. seven minutes after the incident happened. Jeremy was then taken to the hospital, where he had a brain hemorrhage and other head trauma injuries.
The lawsuit came just months after the school announced they would start a scholarship in his honor.
Jeremy spent a month in the hospital. Doctors declared him brain dead, and shortly after, he passed away. His family decided to donate his organs after announcing his death.
His father previously told 11Alive that Jeremy was a leader on and off the field.
"And every time I will tell him, 'You know that not everyone can be like playing sports, working and doing what you do and be able to keep up the grades. Do you know that?' (He says) 'Dad, I don't know, I'm just being me.'"
Jeremy's father previously said it had been Jeremy's dream to become a professional baseball player and a youth minister.
11Alive has reached out to the Gainesville City School System for a response to the lawsuit where the district responded with the following statement:
The passing of Jeremy Medina was a tragic accident and the lives of all who knew him have been changed forever. The school district does not comment on pending litigation.