Virginia Union officials have been hit with a $10 million lawsuit by the family of a student-athlete who died after working out for football.
Quandarius Wilburn died last August following conditioning drills with the VUU football program. His family filed the legal action with the Richmond Circuit Court for wrongful death last month, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The 18-year-old had the sickle cell trait, which meant that his workout program should have been adjusted. It claims that the head coach — Dr. Alvin Parker — and the athletic trainer were aware of this yet did not take the proper precautions.
“Once they’re on notice that an athlete has the sickle cell trait, it’s commonly known in the industry that those athletes have to be trained differently than the other athletes, and if you don’t do it, they’ll die,” Victor C. Hawk, a Georgia-based legal representative of the Wilburn family, said Thursday.
Parker is listed as a defendant in the cause along with then-Athletic Director Felicia Johnson; athletic trainer for football Sean Ahonen and assistant coach/conditioning coach Monterio Hand.
The lawsuit states that Wilburn was instructed to run 80-yard sprints with very little breaks in between and being pushed beyond the point of exhaustion in 86 degree heat. He collapsed and was taken to Virginia Commonwealth Medical Center, where he was eventually pronounced dead.
The lawsuit contends that Virginia Union failed to administer appropriate medical assistance in a timely manner, and also failed to call for appropriate emergency assistance in a timely manner.
“Wilburn’s death not only could have been prevented,” the lawsuit wrote, “it should have been prevented.”
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