Family of Henry Clay student who died after reported fight wants justice, communication

Tracy Kisenda, the uncle of a 17-year-old student who died Friday after reportedly breaking up a fight at Lexington’s Henry Clay High School and suffering an apparent seizure, said the family is trying to determine what happened.

“We want justice,” said Kasinda. “We want communication with the school.”

The Fayette County Coroner’s office issued a report at 3:16 p.m. Monday saying the cause and manner of Emeka “Emmanuel” Mwakadi’s death was pending, that the location of the “incident” was at Henry Clay High School, and the location of death was the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

“Witnesses said that the cause of the seizure was from the fight that happened in school, “ Kisenda said in an interview Monday with the Herald-Leader.

Emmanuel Mwakadi, Kisenda’s nephew, was “trying to break up a fight and he got hit in the back of the neck.”

Mwakadi died at UK Chandler Hospital Friday, where he was transported from school after collapsing.

Justin Peterson, the family’s attorney, said Emmanuel collapsed in his classroom after complaining of back and neck pain following the reported fight in a boy’s restroom.

A Gofundme page has been started for his burial.

Kisenda said Emmanuel was a lovable person who “always put other people first.”

“It was all about love and understanding for him,” Kisenda said.

Emmanuel wanted to be a police officer and was going to study criminal justice, his uncle said.

Kisenda reiterated what Peterson told the Herald-Leader on Sunday: The family thought the school district had not communicated with them sufficiently, except to tell them to go to the hospital when Emmanuel fell ill.

“There is no communication,” Kisenda said.

On Sunday night, Fayette school district spokesperson Dia Davidson said the entire Fayette County Public Schools family “is grieving the death on Friday of the student at HCHS.”

“The school leadership, teachers, and district interpreters have been in constant contact with the family from the very moment the student experienced the medical crisis in the classroom,” Davidson said. “On behalf of the superintendent and entire FCPS family, our sincere condolences.”

At 12:30 p.m. Monday, Davidson-Smith said the district did not have an updated statement.

Lexington Fire Major Derek Roberts said the fire department was dispatched to a run at the school at 10:09 a.m. Friday for a reported seizure.

On Monday morning, Lexington Police Department spokesperson Hannah Sloan said that department did not have a report about the incident

Peterson said he planned a meeting with Fayette County Public School officials on Tuesday.

Henry Clay Principal Corye Franklin said in a letter to families Sunday night after the Herald-Leader posted an article about Emmanuel’s death that “Friday during second period, a student experienced a medical emergency while in class.”

Staff immediately called 9-1-1, he said.

The Lexington Fire Department responded and transported the student to a local hospital, said Franklin.

“Devastatingly, I must share that this student, a beloved member of our senior class, passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital,” Franklin said. “ While we cannot release student information, we did want to share what details we could and outline how we will be supporting students and staff through this difficult time.

“We want to honor and respect the privacy of this student’s family and also acknowledge this profound and tragic loss for the family and our Henry Clay community,” he said.

Franklin said Monday there would be a district crisis team at school, including grief counselors.