College Denies Wrongdoing In Pancake Eating Death Of Clark Girl

CLARK, NJ — Sacred Heart University is denying any wrongdoing in the tragic death of 20-year-old Clark student Caitlin Nelson following a pancake-eating contest on campus in 2017.

The university, located in in Fairfield, Connecticut, submitted documents in Connecticut Superior Court Tuesday, according to multiple media outlets.

Nelson choked while participating in the on-campus, school-sanctioned pancake-eating contest for charity on March 30, 2017, and died three days later. (See Related: Clark Woman Chokes To Death During Eating Contest At College)

Nelson is also the daughter of the 9/11 Port Authority victim James Nelson, whom the James Nelson Memorial Park is named after in Clark.

Nelson's mother, Roseanne, filed the lawsuit against Sacred Heart University in October 2018 seeking to raise awareness of the preventable dangers associated with amateur eating competitions, according to lawyers. (See Related: Mom Of Clark Girl Who Died In Pancake Eating Contest Sues College)

Nelson's lawsuit claims that Sacred Heart not only approved the contest and the use of pancakes, which the complaint says is a particularly dangerous food to eat quickly, but it also failed to have medical personnel on-site in the event a student started choking.

Clark Township is working to build a playground in honor of Nelson. The park will be built at at 430 Westfield Ave. in Clark and replace Fun Time Junction next to Town Hall. The project is slated to begin in March 2019. (See Related: Playground To Honor Memory Of Clark's Caitlin Nelson)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.