04/02/26 08:09:00
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04/02 17:37 CDT Attorneys say Oklahoma basketball player who died after game
wasn't given proper medical care
Attorneys say Oklahoma basketball player who died after game wasn't given
proper medical care
By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) --- Lawyers for the family of an Oklahoma junior college
basketball player who died after suffering a head injury during a game said
Thursday the student had been struck by another player's elbow and accused the
team of not providing proper medical care before putting him back on the court.
Ethan Dietz, 20, died on Nov. 25 after being hit in the head during a
basketball game in Texas three days earlier. He was a student at Connors State
College in the small town of Warner, Oklahoma.
The school provided few details after Dietz's death about how he was injured
and what care was provided. A spokesperson for the junior college, which has
roughly 3,000 students, did not address questions about what kind of medical
care Dietz received after his injury in a statement released on Thursday.
"Connors State College's top priority at this time remains caring for Ethan's
family, the team and the CSC community as they continue to mourn this
heartbreaking loss," the statement said. "The college is unaware of any active
or pending litigation related to this matter and is unable to comment on any
potential claim."
Several weeks after Dietz's death, the college announced that Bill Muse, CSC's
longtime men's basketball coach and athletics director, was stepping down from
the program for "personal reasons."
Michael Holden, an attorney for the family, alleged in a statement that Dietz
was denied immediate medical evaluation and was put back in the game after the
injury.
Dietz joined his team on the two-hour bus ride home and was taken to a hospital
after having seizures in his dorm room, according to Holden. The law firm said
it was investigating the death but has not filed a lawsuit.
Telephone and email messages left Thursday with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner's
Office were not immediately returned. According to Holden's statement, a
coroner who examined Dietz's body reported the cause of death as blunt force
trauma to the head and a collection of blood between his skull and brain.
Dietz was a 6-foot-8 forward from Conway, Arkansas, who was averaging 11 points
per game through eight games last season.
Krystal Dietz said in the statement provided by Holden that her son dreamed of
becoming a Division I basketball player.
"He grinded year-round to better himself for the upcoming season," Dietz said.
"He had the discipline, dedication, and work ethic required to see that kind of
dream through, had he only been given the time."
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