Tony Buzbee representing family of Cy-Fair ISD middle schooler who died during basketball practice

Images of Xavier Thompson (KPRC 2)

Last November, a 13-year-old boy tragically lost his life after suffering an asthma attack during his first day of basketball practice at Thornton Middle School. Now, a prominent Houston attorney is getting involved.

In a mediation demand letter sent to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian, attorney Tony Buzbee called eighth grader Xavier Thompsonโ€™s death a โ€œpreventable tragedy.โ€

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In a conversation with Xavierโ€™s mother, Brittany Thompson, in the days following the tragedy, KPRC 2โ€ฒs Bryce Newberry discovered that Xavierโ€™s parents were first alerted to the asthma attack by a frantic phone call from his classmatesโ€”not the schoolโ€™s staff.

OUR FIRST REPORT: โ€˜Full of lifeโ€™: Student dies after first day of basketball practice at Cy-Fair ISD middle school

โ€œItโ€™s way longer than it should have been,โ€ George Powell, the familyโ€™s former attorney said in November. โ€œIf the facts bear out to be what we think they are, we think that this amounts to gross negligence and we intend to pursue it.โ€

Buzbeeโ€™s demand letter corroborated this account, adding that the panicked parents had to ask Xavierโ€™s friends to give the coach their phone to speak with them.

Xavierโ€™s dad, Willis Thompson, was also able to get to the school at around the same time as medical personnel, leaving the family to question how urgent the schoolโ€™s response actually was.

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Buzbee said he believes the schoolโ€™s reaction to Xavierโ€™s medical episode showed a lack of emergency preparedness and ultimately contributed to the situationโ€™s devastating outcome.

In the pre-suit demand, Buzbee said Xavierโ€™s parents are seeking compensation to account for their sonโ€™s passing. They also are demanding to see changes in emergency training policies and procedures to prevent future tragedies of this nature.

The letter is requesting a response from the district by Feb. 7.


About the Author
Michael Horton headshot

Michael is a Kingwood native who loves visiting local restaurants and overreacting to Houston sports. He joined the KPRC 2 family in the spring of 2024. He earned his B.A. from Texas A&M University in 2022 and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

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