OC School District Pays $31M To Injured Football Player: Report

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A high school football player was paid $31 million by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District to settle a lawsuit where he alleged that he suffered traumatic brain injury from a field negligently maintained by the district.

In March 2021, 15-year-old Manny Garcia was jumping up to make a catch during a regular football practice at Corona del Mar High School when he got entangled with other players and crashed down to the field, The Orange County Register reported.

The fall resulted in extensive head injuries, the report said.

Garcia's attorney, Jesse Creed, told the Daily Pilot that the student suffered “a very scary injury”: a brain bleed resulting in him being placed in a coma and leaving him with cognitive and emotional issues.

According to The OC Register, Corona del Mar officials were aware of the dangerous condition of district sports fields, including the one Garcia was injured on.

The newspaper reported that parents and coaches had warned the school district that the field was too hard on several occasions.

“The warnings came from every nook and cranny of the district,” Creed told KTLA 5. “They came from coaches in football, soccer and lacrosse. They came every year, they were in writing, they were verbal. Warnings were communicated to the principal — they were credible, they were consistent, and they were clear.”

A NMUSD spokesperson declined to comment to the Daily Pilot on the district's settlement, but told the newspaper, "over the years, we have made substantial improvements to our fields and athletic facilities, and we remain dedicated to their ongoing maintenance."

"Additionally, we have completed numerous projects to enhance the quality of our athletic spaces and will continue these efforts to ensure the success and safety of our student athletes," the spokesperson said in a statement.