Reseda High Athlete’s Death

The faculty, staff and students at Reseda High School are all grieving the tragic death of Eric Hoggatt, the varsity football player who passed away in his sleep last Thursday night following the first game of the season. This loss has had a profound impact on the school, and many persons at Reseda High have been struggling through the various stages of grief.

A headline on The Times’ front page on Sept. 17 stated that the Hoggatt family said “administrators were hostile to tribute plans” for Eric. If The Times reporters had chosen to present the facts, rather than inflame emotions, they could have accurately reported that a memorial was indeed being planned. While it is understandable that the Hoggatt family would feel anger as part of the grieving process, we wonder first whether that is legitimate front page news and, secondly, whether The Times’ reporters made an effort to differentiate between the facts and the emotions of those who were interviewed.

Here are a few facts: Five persons, including Eric’s siblings, cousin and girlfriend, entered the Reseda High campus on Monday. The visitors did not check in at the main office, but circulated about the school inviting students to leave campus to attend a memorial for Eric at a nearby coffee shop. When school staff learned of this, the visitors were advised that in order for students at Reseda High to leave campus, they would need to call home and receive parental permission.

Because many of them were unable to contact their parents, administrators offered to allow students and visitors to meet in a room on campus to hold their impromptu memorial; however, several dozen students chose to leave campus without permission. At no time did any administrator or other official threaten to have the visitors arrested if they did not leave.

Another factual misrepresentation appeared in The Times article on Sept. 14. It was stated, “Reseda is a member of the City Section, which does not require a physician at each game, even though one was present Thursday.” In point of fact, if a physician is not available, a school nurse, emergency medical technician or a paramedic must be present before a football game can be played involving any City Section team.

Far from showing insensitivity, Reseda High officials have made every effort to give students and faculty time to mourn Eric’s loss. Students were allowed to leave classrooms on Friday to go home or grieve with counselors and friends. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, grief counselors were available at all times for students and staff still in need of support.

It is still too early to draw conclusions about Eric’s death, and this is no time for any speculation. We agree wholeheartedly with Bonnie Fine, an attorney for the Hoggatt family, who stated, “I’m not trying to make more or less of it. We’ll see what the coroner has to say.” If the Hoggatt family attorney can show this much restraint, we would like to know one thing: Why can’t the L.A. Times?

DR. ROBERT KLADIFKO

Reseda High School principal

STEPHEN LONDON,

DARYL RICE, BETH BLEIBERG

Faculty representatives

ED KATZ

UTLA representative

SUSAN OROSEL

Classified staff representative

DALE JACOBS

Reseda High PTSA president

JAN SCHNEIDER

Reseda High community advisory

council president

ANNE MARIE DUQUE

Reseda High bilingual parent

advisory council president