By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, November 7 at 6:14 AM
A 17-year-old collapsed and died yesterday at Vashon High School. According to KMOV, authorities say it appears Cortez Riney suffered a seizure.
School officials said disctrict security guards tried to revive him until an ambulance arrived. The boys mother told KMOV he had a cut on his chin and a bloody nose after apparently falling out of his classroom desk. He apparently had a history of seizures.
7 Comments:
Our prayers go out to this family.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006 12:44:56 PM
What a terrible thing to have happen. A student had a seizure my first year of teaching, hit her head and fell unconscious--luckily nothing like this. But I was amazed when the nurse told me the student didn't like to take her medicine and when I inquired as to why teachers couldn't know about a potentially dangerous & injurious condition of a student, I was told privacy laws prevented it! Hope it's not the same and the family doesn't pursue legal action.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006 3:12:35 PM
Condolences to the family and to the school.
Since Vashon is in the spotlight here too, following are two letters in today's Riverfront Times regarding Vashon and Coach Irons.
We knew it: Kristen Hinman's "Basketball by the Book" confirms what colleagues and myself have known for years. Donald Davis Jr., named in the article, was a student in my district for years. He attended middle school a stone's throw away from the address listed in Charlack. I have seen Donald around town and kind of questioned him about playing at Vashon. The first thing out of his mouth is his so-called residency on University Drive. It's almost like these kids have been coached on what to say.
These people have been cheating for years and I'm glad that someone has had courage enough to bring it to light. I would also like to see the academic-eligibility side of some of these players looked into (not mentioned in the article). This proves all along that Mr. Irons is not looking out for the welfare of his players — just himself.
Keep up the good work!
G. Martinez, St. Louis
It's time something was done: How far back does this go? Is it fairly safe to assume that this was the practice all along, or within the first few years of Irons' reign? If so, shouldn't all their championships be stripped? Enough rhetoric; everyone's known this for years — it's time something was done.
They didn't hesitate stripping Pembroke Hill's titles a few years back when they used the ineligible Rush brothers. Oh, but that's a rich, private Kansas City school, which won't make too many political waves. If you attack Vashon, it will look like "the system" is coming down on poor black kids once again.
I played on a team that lost to Anthony Bonner in the state championship game, and they looked like they were all nineteen years old (some actually were). All five starters went Division I. That just doesn't happen in a normal neighborhood high school. Like I said, everyone knew.
Jim Sheedy, Kansas City
Wednesday, November 08, 2006 6:13:51 PM
With all this how can Irons sue for defamation of character?
Thursday, November 09, 2006 8:57:53 PM
My condolences go out the family of Cortez Riney. The death of a loved is always hard and when it’s a child it is even harder. My prayers go out the Riney family and his classmates at Vashon as they try to deal with this tragedy.
I am appalled that the last 2 bloggers used this space to discuss the issues of Vashon of Coach Irons. I’m sure there are plenty of spaces to talk about, but to do so under the headline of the tragic death of child, is disgusting. Please place your comments in the appropriate place, and if ask yourself “is the right place” then the answer is NO.
Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:27:05 PM
Thank you last anonymous, you took the words out of my mouth. Yes, the basketball stuff should be addressed in another forum.
Cortez's death has definitely left an empty space in the hearts of us at Vashon. He was a wonderful young man and an excellent student. On Wednesday, an assembly was held at Vashon and he was remembered there. Senior, Khadijah Moore, read a poem that Cortez had written the week before. The Vashon choir sang a moving rendition of "I Believe I Can Fly". Faculty and students contributed funds to help offset the cost of his funeral. It was also my understanding that a local funeral home, I wish I knew which one,opened their doors to the family as well. Cortez will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
Friday, November 10, 2006 9:02:09 PM
It is nice to hear the Vashon community come together, unfortunately in such awful circumstances. Hopefully, the memory of Cortez can have some effect on this community in their future endeavors together in changing the face of the problems that seem to constantly exist for this school. If so, his memory will definitely live on.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 12:55:43 PM
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