An Orange County school district has agreed to pay a $31 million settlement to Emanuel “Manny” Garcia, a former Corona del Mar High School football player who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a practice session on March 9, 2021. The injury occurred when Garcia, then a 15-year-old freshman, fell on poorly maintained natural turf fields, according to his legal team.
Although Garcia was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, the fall resulted in a severe brain bleed that led to cognitive and emotional challenges, as well as a significant drop in academic performance. His lawyers from Panish, Shea, and Ravipudi noted the life-altering consequences of the injury, which left Garcia in a coma and later classified him as a special education student.
“This was a terrifying injury,” said Jesse Creed, Garcia’s attorney. “Manny’s academic performance suffered dramatically, and his life took a turn that no young athlete should have to endure.”
The lawsuit alleged that Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which oversees Corona del Mar High, neglected to maintain the field despite repeated warnings from coaches in various sports. Coaches had consistently raised concerns about unsafe field conditions to school administrators, pointing out the heightened risk of injury. A 2016 email from lacrosse coach G.W. Mix to the principal at the time, Kathy Scott, highlighted the poor state of the athletic fields, calling them “a safety concern” and “a liability issue.”
The district’s initial response to the lawsuit denied responsibility, stating that Garcia was negligent at the time of the incident. However, after more than two years of litigation, the parties reached the $31 million settlement on August 22, 2024.
Newport-Mesa Unified spokeswoman Annette Franco declined to comment on the specifics of the settlement but maintained that the district regularly tests its fields and has made improvements to athletic facilities.
Despite the challenges, Garcia graduated with his peers from Corona del Mar High in June 2024. Reflecting on his experience, he expressed gratitude for the support from his coaches and emphasized the importance of maintaining safe athletic fields to prevent future tragedies.
“Every school district should make sure the football fields are safe to play on,” Garcia said, “so that this terrible thing never happens again.”