A Nevada mother has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Clark County School District (CCSD), alleging that gross negligence and a failure to provide emergency medical care led to the death of her 8-year-old son. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court on March 3, 2026, claims a school official ignored the child’s obvious signs of distress and directed him to a bathroom to choke alone, rather than administering life-saving measures.
A Fatal Lapse in Protocol at Bass Elementary
The incident occurred on February 25, 2025, at Bass Elementary School. According to the complaint filed by Amanda Corbala, her son, Cruzito Ruiz, was in the school cafeteria at approximately 11:20 a.m. when he began to choke on a piece of food.
Security camera footage cited in the lawsuit reportedly shows Ruiz attempting to slap his own back and seeking help from a peer before approaching a school official. The complaint alleges that despite Ruiz “signaling for help with his hands to his mouth and displaying obvious signs of physical distress,” the official failed to intervene.
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Allegations of Negligence and “Air Hunger”
The lawsuit paints a harrowing picture of the minutes leading up to the child’s collapse. Rather than performing the Heimlich maneuver or CPR—procedures the official was allegedly trained to execute—the staff member reportedly directed Ruiz to an isolated boys’ bathroom.
“The school official did not radio for help, call for the school nurse, alert any nearby adult staff, or contact emergency services before directing Cruzito out of sight,” the complaint states.
Left alone in the restroom, Ruiz suffered what the lawsuit describes as “extreme conscious pain, terror, and air hunger” for approximately five minutes. He was eventually found unresponsive and “blue” by other students, who then alerted staff.
Medical Findings and the Cause of Death
When paramedics arrived—estimated to be 15 minutes after the initial distress began—they performed a finger sweep and removed a “large piece of pineapple” from the boy’s airway.
Ruiz was transported to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with an anoxic brain injury secondary to cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on March 2, 2025.
The Legal Argument
Attorneys Farhan R. Naqvi and Andre M. Lagomarsino, representing Corbala, argue that the district violated Ruiz’s civil rights by restricting his access to “immediate supervision and timely emergency intervention.” The family is seeking damages for:
- Civil rights violations
- Loss of companionship
- Extreme emotional grief
“We intend to hold the Clark County School District accountable and will not rest until there is justice for Cruzito,” the legal team said in a joint statement.
School District Response and Future Implications
When reached for comment regarding the allegations of staff negligence and the specific failure to follow emergency protocols, a representative for the Clark County School District stated that the district “does not comment on pending litigation.”
The case raises significant questions regarding school safety protocols and the adequacy of emergency response training for non-medical staff in Nevada schools. As the litigation moves forward in federal court, the discovery process is expected to scrutinize the district’s internal surveillance footage and the training records of the official involved.
