California seeks guidelines for physical education during severe weather following a student's passing.
A mother from the Inland Empire area, 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles, spoke about the loss of her son, Yahushua, who died tragically due to a heart defect during extreme heat at his school. She expressed her wish for others not to experience what she is currently going through.
The day of his passing, Janee Robinson, a physical education teacher, kept her elementary school students indoors, hoping the same would be done for her own children. The Riverside County Coroner's Bureau ruled that Yahushua died on August 29 due to a heart condition, with heat and physical exertion as contributing factors. His death occurred during an excessive heat warning, advising people to limit outdoor activities and avoid strenuous exercises.
Yahushua's family is advocating for a California bill that would mandate the state's Department of Education to create regulations regarding physical activity at public schools during extreme weather. The guidelines would include setting temperature limits on when it's too hot or too cold for students to be engaged in sports or exercise outdoors. This bill would have to be in effect by January 1, 2026.
Several states have already implemented measures to protect student athletes from heat stress during training. However, the California bill is more comprehensive, aiming to safeguard students throughout the day in any kind of weather. The bill's authors believe the tragic passing of Yahushua could have been averted had these regulations been in place.
State Senator Melissa Hurtado, one of the bill's authors, remarked on the severity of the situation, saying, "Yahushua's story is heartbreaking. It's incredibly moving. I think it could've been prevented if we had the necessary safeguards."
In a world affected by climate change, extreme weather events are becoming more common and intense. Last year marked the planet's hottest on record, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that roughly 1,220 people die annually due to excessive heat in the United States.
Young children are particularly susceptible to heat-related illnesses since their bodies have a harder time regulating temperature and rely on adults to prevent them from overheating. Dr. Chad Vercio, a pediatrician, pointed out the potential damage heat-related illness can cause, stating, "It can be dangerous, and it's something we should take seriously."
Eric Robinson, 15, was in sports medicine class when his sister arrived at his school unexpectedly on the day of his brother’s death. Yahushua's siblings were notified early to leave school that day. Upon returning home, Eric discovered his sister in tears.
"I can't believe my little brother’s gone. I won't be able to see him again. He always bugged me, and I'd say, 'Leave me alone,'" Eric recalled with sorrow.
That morning, when temperatures reached the 90s, teachers prompted Yahushua to run on the blacktop. According to his friends, the sixth-grader vigorously requested water, but it was not provided to him. The school district withheld the video footage of Yahushua's collapse on the blacktop, refusing to share it with the family. Eric was unable to obtain any comment from the district for this report.
Elevated surface temperatures on hot days can be dangerous, with asphalt reaching up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, warn researchers at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. Some school districts, like San Diego Unified and Santa Ana Unified, have heat plans or guidelines that advise limiting physical activity and supplying water to students. However, there are no statewide standards in place for K-12 schools to follow to protect their students from heat-related health risks.
The proposed California bill would require the Department of Education to institute temperature thresholds forcing schools to modify their students' physical activities during extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves, wildfires, heavy rain, and flooding. Additionally, schools would be obligated to develop alternative indoor activity plans, and staff would need to be trained to detect and respond to weather-related stress issues.
Douglas Casa, a professor of kinesiology and head of the institute, commented that state guidelines could help establish uniformity regarding heat distress management and how lives can be saved.
"The issue is that each high school doesn't have a cardiologist, doesn't have a thermal physiologist, and doesn't have a sickling expert," Casa remarked about the medical specialties pertinent to heat illness.
Back in 2022, California unveiled a Plan for Severe Heat Action that suggested state agencies contemplate the establishment of indoor and outdoor heat rules for schools. Unfortunately, the administration of Governor Gavin Newsom - a Democrat - and the legislature haven't imposed any such standards.
During 2021, a bill intended to mandate schools to devise a heat plan and replace heat-absorbing materials like cement and rubber with more heat-friendly elements like grass and cool pavement went unadopted. This bill met resistance from school officials, in part because of financial concerns.
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Naj Alikhan, a spokesperson from the Association of California School Administrators, commented that the current bill employs a different approach and won't necessitate architectural and infrastructure changes to schools. The association hasn't taken a stance on this proposal, with no other organizations opposing it.
The Robinson family opined that children's well-being should supersede the costs entailed in prepping schools to address the increasing threat of extreme weather. The Robinsons believe that their son's death could potentially save others.
"I genuinely miss him. I cry every day," lamented Eric Robinson, Yahushua's father. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't sob about my son."
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The California bill aims to mandate temperature limits for outdoor physical activities during extreme weather, including heatwaves and heavy rain, to safeguard students' health (follows from the text about the bill's proposed guidelines).
The tragic passing of Yahushua could potentially have been prevented had regulations regarding physical activity during extreme weather already been in place, according to the bill's authors (follows from the statement of State Senator Melissa Hurtado).
Source: edition.cnn.com
