A former Mead High School student and his family took the stand this week to recount the physical and emotional devastation he endured after a 2023 football camp assault at Eastern Washington University.
The young man, who is Black, described a hostile environment within the program, where racial slurs were hurled and peers plotted retaliation, including a chilling remark from a teammate that "We’ll get him back at camp."
His attorney has announced a demand for $20 million to $50 million in damages, arguing that the school district failed to protect him and ignored repeated warnings about the abuse.
A Culture of Silence
Former principal Kimberly Jensen testified that coaches Keith Stamps and athletic director John Barrington kept the extent of the incident from her for months, allowing a toxic culture to persist.
Jensen said she finally notified the superintendent of the severity of the incident, but the investigation did not begin until a month later, a delay she called "unacceptable."
The victim, left feeling "dead" after the assault, has since relocated to Texas with his uncle and mother, struggling to reclaim the identity he once held.