There was an excessive heat warning in Lake Elsinore on the August day when 12-year-old Yahushua Robinson — who had been instructed to run — died during P.E. class.
Now, a coroner’s report has reportedly found that the boy died of a heart defect, with heat and physical exertion as contributing factors.
The findings by the Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau were announced soon after the introduction of a Senate bill that would create rules for California schools on what physical activities can be allowed during extreme weather.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said deputies went to Canyon Lake Middle School around 11 a.m. on Aug. 29 after receiving a report of a minor needing medical aid. The child was hospitalized and later pronounced dead.
The high temperature in Lake Elsinore that day was 107 degrees.
The coroner’s report said “significant conditions” contributing to but not related to the cause of death included “presumptive environmental heat exposure and recent physical exertion,” the San Bernardino Sun reported.
Yahushua had been sprinting with other students and was seen “bending over and grabbing at his chest,” according to a description of video footage written by Deputy Coroner Myranda Montez, the Press-Enterprise reported.
Yahushua fell and got back up multiple times and was helped by other students and then by an adult, according to the report. At one point, “it appeared Yahushua became unresponsive,” and the teacher carried him into shade off-camera, the outlet reported.
The official cause of death was “coronary artery anomaly.”
The Times reached out to the family’s advocate, Christina Laster, for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
The California Department of Education has no rules on when severe weather should prompt the cancellation or modification of physical education classes. It leaves the decision to local schools and districts, “with the assistance of other local agencies that monitor air quality and weather.”
“Unhealthy air quality, extreme temperatures, high winds, etc. may present conditions where it is appropriate to modify activity levels or move PE instruction indoors,” the Department of Education says on its website.
The California Department of Public Health provides guidance on sports and strenuous activities during extreme heat; however, it’s up to schools to implement the guidance.
Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) has introduced Senate Bill 1248, or Yahushua’s Law, with the aim of bringing uniformity to how California schools respond to extreme weather when it comes to physical activities.
In a news release, Hurtado said the bill would require the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns that are potentially harmful to students’ health.
“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson … for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”
