The family of Devin Butts, a North Carolina Central basketball player who died suddenly in 2023, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, alleging negligence and a failure to provide adequate medical care.
Butts, 22, collapsed during an offseason workout and went into cardiac arrest, according to accounts from friends and witnesses. CPR was administered by a teammate until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Butts was hospitalized in critical condition and later died on May 5, 2023.
The lawsuit, filed this week in Durham County, alleges that NCCU failed to provide proper medical supervision during the offseason practice and did not have adequate emergency protocols in place, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Though the university has yet to comment on lawsuit, it did offer condolences to the family following Butts’ death.
“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Devin. This is a devastating tragedy for our team, fans, and the entire NCC community, NCCU head men’s basketball coach LeVelle Moton said at the time of Butts’ death, the school said in a statement.
“Devin will always be remembered as an incredible teammate that had an infectious smile at all times. Our heartfelt condolences are with his family and those who were blessed to know him.”
On the night of April 30, 2023, Butts and three N.C. Central basketball teammates entered McDougald-McLendon Arena through a side door that had been left unlocked and propped open, according to the lawsuit.
The group was participating in voluntary offseason workouts—playing one-on-one and shooting baskets without coaches or school officials present, as was expected of them.
Shortly after midnight, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 1, Butts collapsed on the court after experiencing a sudden cardiac event. With no automated external defibrillator (AED) nearby and no staff on site to assist, his teammates called 911 at 12:35 a.m.
Emergency medical personnel arrived at 12:48 a.m.—18 minutes after Butts went down—and were able to restart his heart. However, the delay deprived him of critical oxygen to his brain, and he died four days later at Duke University Hospital, the lawsuit claims.
“Devin was denied essential, life-saving medical treatment that more likely than not would have restored his heart beat to a normal sinus rhythm and mitigated consequences of his cardiac event,” the lawsuit said.
A family spokesperson said in a statement:
“Devin was a vibrant young man with a promising future, and his loss has left a void that can never be filled. We believe that NCCU had a responsibility to protect Devin and to ensure that all student-athletes receive the highest standard of care. Our hope is that this lawsuit will bring accountability and lead to changes that prevent future tragedies.”
Butts, a native of Macon, Georgia, was set to graduate with a degree in behavioral and social sciences before his death.
The Butts family is seeking unspecified damages and reforms to NCCU’s athletic health and safety protocols, the Observer reported.