A Baltimore County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed Monday that an athletic trainer attended football practice at Franklin High School in Reisterstown, Md., last week when a 16-year-old player collapsed and later died.
As reported by Capital Gazette, first responders with the Baltimore County Fire Department arrived at the football field last Wednesday morning, responding to a call for an “unconscious subject” who “had a heatstroke.” There, efforts were underway to resuscitate Leslie Noble, a junior guard on the varsity football team. Noble was transported in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.
Gboyinde Onijala, a BCPS spokesperson, said the school district will review the event, which is required by policy, but that there is no internal investigation.
Related: HS Football Player Collapses, Dies During First Practice of Season
Baltimore County 911 Communications Center denied a Maryland Public Information Act request for emergency calls regarding the incident, saying they are part of an “open and ongoing criminal investigation.” Joy Stewart, a spokesperson for county police, said homicide and missing persons detectives “respond to” all juvenile deaths. Police are waiting for autopsy results to determine next steps, she said, as reported by Capital Gazette.
Franklin High School’s athletic trainer is one of at least 12 full-time trainers employed by BCPS, Lilly Price of Capital Gazette reported. The district budgeted funds to hire six more athletic trainers this fiscal year. Two dozen high schools sponsor athletics within BCPS.
Baltimore City Public Schools agreed to hire a full-time athletic trainer at each of its high schools after the family of a 17-year-old injured football player sued the district. An athletic trainer was not present. An on-site medic and city schools personnel treated Elijah Gorham for nearly 45 minutes before he was taken by ambulance to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for surgery. He died in the hospital nearly a month later after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Passed in 2022, the Elijah Gorham Act requires all middle and high schools in Maryland to develop emergency action plans for their athletic venues, including for the use of defibrillators and cooling equipment for heatstroke.
State lawmakers passed the Jordan McNair Safe and Fair Play Act in 2021, three years after its 19-year-old namesake died of heatstroke during a University of Maryland football practice. Under the law, athletic departments have to create guidelines for preventing and treating brain injuries, heat-related illness and other conditions. State universities are required to report changes in their health and safety policies to the General Assembly every fall, the Capital Gazette reported.
