School officials sued for lack of a defibrillator

May 31, 2002

Bruce Hosta, the father of a young athlete who died two years ago, is suing the Olmsted Falls (Ohio) School District, the school board and a teacher for wrongful death, pain and suffering. Dara Hosta, then 14, had just won a race during gym class when she collapsed in cardiac arrest. The physical education teacher sent other students to get help, but it was too late. Dara died six days later on June 1, 2000. The $2.5 million lawsuit filed May 24th claims that school officials did not make provisions for notification of emergency personnel from the outdoor track and did not have defibrillators on school grounds.

Meanwhile, Dara’s grandmother has become an advocate for cell phones for teachers and coaches, a cause that has been taken up by the Ohio PTA.

A defibrillator was later donated to the school district and all school buildings are now equipped with cell phones.

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