Lawsuit alleges safety failures in case of Mass. boy who drowned on field trip

The family of a 14-year-old Springfield student who drowned on a field trip in Connecticut in June filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the field trip venue.

On June 10, Springfield Public School students were swimming while on a field trip at High Meadow Resort in Granby, Connecticut when eighth-grader E’Mari Marshall-Woodard “disappeared beneath the [pool’s] surface within a crowd and drowned in shallow water,” the civil complaint filed in New Haven District Court said.

“When E’Mari was finally recovered, his lips and face were purple, his eyes were rolled back, and he was foaming at the mouth,” according to the suit.

Marshall-Woodard was transported to Connecticut Children’s Hospital, where he later died.

On Sept. 30, Marshall-Woodard’s mother, Maurissa Marshall-Harris, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against High Meadow Management Company and 311 LLC, court records show.

Marshall-Harris is seeking $15,000 in damages for two counts of negligence and two counts of recklessness, the civil complaint said.

“High Meadow Resort permitted more than 150 students into the pool, causing extreme overcrowding, impairing the ability of students to safely move about the pool, and preventing lifeguards and other personnel from monitoring individuals in the pool,” the complaint said. The pool’s capacity was 142 occupants, but the diving section of the pool was closed, reducing its capacity to 105.

There were 800 students from several school districts at the resort that day and “many more students and individuals were allowed to enter the pool deck and surrounding area, further exacerbating the dangerous crowding situation,” the complaint said.

Additionally, as of the day of the incident, “High Meadow Resort had not received the required annual authorization from the Farmington Valley Health District to open the pool for the season,” the complaint said. Two days after the incident, the Farmington Valley Health District inspected the pool, found multiple deficiencies, and ordered the pool to be closed upon further inspection, per the complaint.

Leslie Jackson, the lawyer representing High Meadow Management Company and 311 LLC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

Remembering E’Mari Marshall-Woodard

In his obituary, loved ones remembered Marshall-Woodard as a “bright light” whose impact will stretch longer than his 14 years.

He left behind his mother, stepfather, father, four siblings, and one step-sibling, along with many other family members.

“E’Mari was thoughtful, respectful, responsible, and mature beyond his years,” his obituary said. He “loved playing basketball and football, reading, cooking, and … was proudly known as the “Fortnite King.”

“Above all, E’Mari loved wholeheartedly. He especially loved his mother and never missed an opportunity to tell her, ‘I love you,’ every chance he got,” it said.