Baltimore City Board Of Estimates To Weigh $345K Settlement With Elijah Gorham's Parents
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City is considering a $345,000 settlement to head off a potential lawsuit from the family of Elijah Gorham, a Mervo student who died last year of a head injury suffered during a football game.
Gorham, a 17-year-old student-athlete for Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, died Oct. 11, 2021, roughly three weeks after he collapsed following a clash with another player during Mervo's Sept. 18 matchup against Dunbar High School.
The Baltimore City Board of Estimates is scheduled to vote next Wednesday on the proposed settlement with Gorham's parents, according to a copy of the board's April 20 agenda, "to avoid the expense, time, and uncertainties of protracted litigation."
The agenda item states that the city and school district have agreed to pay the $345,000 settlement in exchange for a commitment from Gorham's parents to waive all claims against the mayor, city council and school board.
As part of the settlement, the school district has also agreed to develop and roll out a series of health and safety measures for school athletics, based in part on feedback from Gorham's parents. That piece of the agreement requires budgetary approval.
The city's legal department recommends the board vote in favor of the settlement, which has been approved by the finance department, to avoid a potential lawsuit.
