Claim Rejected in Boy’s Drowning

The Board of Education this week rejected a claim accusing the Long Beach Unified School District of negligence in the drowning of a 14-year-old boy in the Jordan High School swimming pool.

An attorney for the boy’s family said he expects to file a lawsuit against the Long Beach Unified School District within the next few weeks, claiming that Ryan Hardison died as a result of district negligence.

Hardison sank to the bottom of the Jordan High pool on May 23 during an ROTC class. His instructor and classmates were in the pool with him. There were two other adults in the area, including a lifeguard who attempted to resuscitate him.

Attorney Paul F. Glass filed the claim against the district June 13, asking for ambulance, medical, funeral and burial expenses in addition to other unspecified damages. A claim is routinely filed prior to a lawsuit, and the school board typically rejects all such claims.

“When all is said and done, if you have three adults with a group of kids . . . a child shouldn’t drown. It’s as simple as that,” Glass said. “It shouldn’t happen.”

Jordan High Principal Alta Cooke has called the drowning “a freak accident,” saying there was no negligence by the instructors or the lifeguard.

Supt. E. Tom Giugni has appointed a four-member panel to review the incident. The panel was told to gather facts, rather than reach any conclusions about whether there was negligence on the part of school personnel, said Ron Bennett, who chairs the group. But if the panel members find areas where improvements are needed, they will make recommendations to the school board, he said.

The district also has hired a claims service to interview witnesses, said Bennett, the district’s deputy superintendent for business services. The witnesses’ statements and other information gathered by the panel will be turned over to an attorney the district hired for this case, Bennett said.