The University of Maryland has reached a multimillion dollar settlement Friday night with the family of a football player who died from heat stroke in 2018.
The $3.5 million settlement with Jordan McNair’s family was approved by university officials and the Office of the Attorney General to be paid in full. The Maryland Board of Public Works will vote to approve the settlement at its next meeting on Jan. 27.
In a statement, attorney Hassan Murphy said that the family is “relieved that the fight is over and are eager to put this behind them as they continue to mourn Jordan’s death.”
“They are committed to channeling their grief and loss into the work that remains to protect the lives of student-athletes around the world by educating them about the signs and risks of exertional heat stroke through the Jordan McNair Foundation,” Murphy said. “And we, as a firm, are committed to working with them and the Maryland Legislature to reform the tort laws of this state so that no family’s recovery is potentially limited by law to an amount that is less than what the responsible parties received on their way out the door.”
McNair was an 18-year-old lineman who collapsed after a preseason workout in May 2018 and died in the hospital two weeks later. His cause of death was ruled from heat stroke.
An independent investigation that followed determined that team trainers did not follow proper procedures when treating McNair. Further questioning of the football team’s culture led to the firing of then-coach D.J. Durkin and the immediate removal of the university system’s Board of Regents Chairman James Brady.
The athletic department also added new guidelines for spring and summer workouts.
Since McNair’s death, his family established the Jordan McNair Foundation that focuses on informing local football communities on the signs and symptoms of heat stroke and heat-related illnesses.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.
