12-Year-Old Boy Dies While Running In Over 90-Degree Heat; Teacher Allegedly Ignored Pleas For Water

A California preteen who didn’t have proper attire died after a gym teacher allegedly made him run in his regular clothes as the temperature pushed passed 90 degrees. The incident took place Aug. 29 at around 11 a.m.

According to NBC Los Angeles, 12-year-old Yahshua Robinson died after he collapsed while running laps last week. The boy, who lived in Lake Elsinore, had asked for water before collapsing and dying at Canyon Lake Middle School.

Reportedly, the teacher ignored his request for water.

The student’s aunt, Amarna Plummer, told the media outlet that her nephew wasn’t appropriately dressed for the physical education class. Yet, the gym teacher made him participate as a form of punishment. Plummer said other students informed her that he started to feel ill. After asking for water, he passed out and never regained consciousness.

“He was reaching out to the teacher, saying he needed some water. He said he couldn’t breathe. He was telling the kids this,” Plummer said.

“Why would you have a child in his clothes–he didn’t dress out–running a field?”

According to a report from the Riverside County Sheriff, Robinson was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta where his listed time of death was 12:25 p.m. In a statement, the Lake Elsinore Unified School District said it was “saddened” to confirm the death “of one of our students due to a medical emergency at one of our LEUSD campuses.”

A GoFundMe account was started for Robinson’s family. More than 2,000 people had donated about $80,000. The listed goal was $100,000.

“For 12-year-old Yahshua Robinson, August 29, 2023, started as a typical, fun-filled school day. But while taking part in his PE activities at school, Yahshua collapsed and became unresponsive, a tragedy we believe was brought about by the sweltering heat. Despite the response and care of medical professionals, Yahshua tragically succumbed to cardiac arrest at the hospital,” the GoFundMe page reads.