Two coaches are being charged with murder in the death of a student. The incident that led to 16-year-old Imani Bell's death took place in 2019.
Imani was a member of the basketball team at Elite Scholars Academy in Jonesboro, Georgia. But when she was forced to practice in extreme heat on an August day, the result was disastrous.
On August 13, 2019, Imani collapsed while running stadium steps. The heat index was over 100 degrees. Neighboring schools had canceled their practices that day due to the heat.
Now Imani's parents, Eric and Dorian Bell, are speaking out about what happened to their daughter.
Imani's heartbroken parents say that her death was completely preventable. They recently opened up about the tragic event. Her mother, Dorian Bell, told Good Morning America, "To see Imani on a hospital bed … I couldn't just grasp it at the time. And it's still hard now, you know, just to even talk about it."
Imani's father is also a high school basketball coach at a nearby school. Eric Bell said that he canceled practice that day. He described himself as being completely "flabbergasted" to find out what his daughter was being forced to do that day — running outside in the extreme heat.
"It's just a sad situation because protocols were in place. If the protocols were followed, we wouldn't be here talking to you today," he said. "But the protocols were not followed, and with that being the case, the decision was made and with that decision being made, a tragic accident happened and forever changed our lives, and we don't want this to happen to anybody else."
Now two coaches, Larosa Walker-Asekere and Dwight Palmer, are being charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in Imani's death. The family filed a wrongful death suit against both of the coaches. Walker-Asekere's attorney said she "was on her first day as coach" and that "she was relying on the direction" of other school officials.
The family is, of course, still deeply grieving the loss of Imani. But her father tries to remain hopeful. He says he holds onto the memory of Imani, and how she lived her life, to get him through.
"So through the tough times, I like to think about that smile on [her] face. I like to think about the positive messages that she would have to everybody in our inner circle," Eric Bell said of his daughter. But it's a pain no parent should ever have to feel.
"She was a very positive person. She was very uplifting to not only herself, but to her friends, rather to her family and friends. And, you know, when it gets tough, I like to think about those times," he said.
Imani's mother added, "This shouldn't happen to anybody's child. It's just ridiculous, it's no reason why it should have happened."
