Lawsuit: School didn't follow emergency action plan in Matthew Mangine Jr.'s death

by Christian Hauser & Stephanie Kuzydym, WKRC

Thursday, January 27th 2022

https://local12.com/news/investigates/athletes-at-risk/school-didnt-practice-follow-emergency-action-plan-in-matthew-mangine-jrs-death-cincinnati-ohio-st-henry-soccer-collapsed-died-eap-

ERLANGER, Ky. (WKRC) – When 16-year-old Matthew Mangine Jr. collapsed on the St. Henry practice pitch in June of 2020, it should have set off a chain of responses designed to save his life.

But the complaint alleges those actions never happened.

Those life-saving steps are outlined in what’s called a venue-specific emergency action plan – or EAP, which lays out what to do in an emergency during practices or games.

High schools are required to have them under Kentucky law, which passed as a result of the death of a high school athlete more than a decade before Mangine.

The amended complaint states while there were venue-specific EAPs for other sites at St. Henry, they were drafts and not fully reviewed by the athletic director when she got it on June 7, 2020 – nine days before Mangine’s collapse.

The Mangine family attorney Kevin Murphy says that’s a violation of state law and KHSAA policies.

“Each venue where a sports event takes place is supposed to have their own EAP – there was none for this practice field,” Murphy said.

In his sworn deposition, athletic trainer Mike Bowling says at no time between him sending the draft EAPs and Mangine’s collapse did Kaiser tell him there were two other AEDs.

State law regarding EAPs has nine requirements. The complaint alleges St. Henry failed to do five of those.

EAPs must be distributed, posted, reviewed and rehearsed. The complaint says none of that happened.

Lastly, state law also says the EAP should include all available emergency equipment. The complaint alleges the school failed to do that too.

Local 12 Investigates will dig into that on Friday.

Steve Hahn, the soccer coach, is shown here in Boone County Sheriff’s body cam footage from the day of the incident.

Hahn testified he had not seen the 2020 EAP prior to Mangine’s collapse.

Maureen Kaiser, the athletic director, testified during her deposition she just “glanced” at the emergency action plan and, to her knowledge, had no conversation with Mike Bowling, the athletic trainer, about the EAPs.

“The athletic director of St. Henry thought that the emergency action plan was a suggestion or guidance,” Murphy said. “She didn’t know that it was Kentucky law.”

Matt's mom Kim, was at practice the day he died.

“It is a tragedy but here’s why, because it didn’t need to happen. That’s why,” Murphy said. “That’s the true tragedy.”

Local 12 Investigates emailed the law firm that represents St. Henry and the Diocese of Covington but have not received a response.

Boone County circuit court judge Richard Brueggemann ordered all parties in the lawsuit to discuss possible mediation before Jan. 31.