A New York mother is suing the city after her son drowned in the East River during an after-school outing. Kavion Brown Godfrey, was only 13 years old when he died on October 20, 2023. His mother, Laquana Badger Godfrey, claims the school failed to properly supervise her son and is suing for $40 million.
According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, Kavion was a freshman who played basketball at Lower East Side Preparatory School. On the day he died, he reportedly called his mom and asked permission to go to the park to watch the school’s soccer team play. Godfrey told the Post that she had given her son permission after the basketball coach, Joseph Asad, assured her he would watch Kavion. According to her, that didn’t happen. Now she is suing the Department of Education, the Public School Athletic League, and Asad.
More from CafeMom: Missing 8-Year-Old Boy Found Drowned in Pond After Running Away From School
Asad allegedly told the family he would watch Kavion and the other students.
Godfrey told the Post that Asad assured her Kavion would be safe.
“‘Don’t worry,'” Godfrey told the Post, recalling what the coach said. “‘Kavion is going to be with us, we’re traveling as a group.'”
His mother said the coach did not properly supervise Kavion or the other students, and her son was unsupervised and drowned.
“He was nowhere to be found,” Godfrey told the Post of Asad. Kavion was reported missing, and his body was found a week later, two miles away in the river.
City officials have declined to comment on the case, according to the Post.
Her son's death has changed everything for Godfrey.
She told the Post she no longer trusts the Department of Education and will not let her other three sons go on school outings. Godfrey also denied her youngest son’s request to play soccer because she has lost all faith in the school system.
“I don’t trust the DOE anymore,” she said.
The family's attorney wants someone held accountable for Kavion's death.
Godfrey’s lawyers, Sanford Rubenstein and Mark Shirian, told the Post in a statement that the family believed their children were safe at school. They believed in a promise they feel Asad broke.
“A parent whose child is under the supervision of the DOE has to be able to rely on promises made by teachers, coaches and administrators,” the statement reads.
“Here, the coach promised he would be with the child, supervise the child — clearly he did not do that. This tragedy never would have occurred if he kept his promise to this grieving mother.”
Godfrey intends to sue for $40 million. “There has to be some type of accountability because we trust the DOE when we leave our children’s lives in your hands, and then for one of your children not to come home — It’s devastating,” she told the Post. “I’m so sad about this because something has to happen.”
More from CafeMom: Teen Stepbrothers Who Died by Drowning at a Park in Maine Found Holding Onto Each Other
Kavion's loved ones remember him fondly.
Family friend Jade E. established a GoFundMe account for the family. It has surpassed its original $15,000 goal with more than $16,000 in donations.
“A light, loving son, protective big brother, adventurous, curious, life-loving, full of spirit–these are some of the words to describe Kavion. Kavion’s smile lit up a room and he offered it to us so freely, Jade wrote on the page. “Kavion loved being active and took his responsibilities very seriously, among them being a loving big brother. Kavion leaped at the opportunity to support and make others’ loads lighter. Kavion and his brothers are deeply loved and guided by their parents Donnell and Laquana, who live for their boys, and not a moment passes that they aren’t covered in that love and protection.”
