Sub teacher Johnathan Lamonte Sails charged in drowning of 15 yr old student at East Detroit High School

This is a tough one to comment on without being there.  It’s a tragedy all the way around and I feel bad for the boy’s family and the teacher involved.

Macomb Dailyreports Macomb County authorities have authorized a warrant charging an East Detroit High School teacher with gross negligence in the drowning death of a 15-year-old student who couldn’t swim.

Johnathan Lamonte Sails, 24, of Detroit, a substitute teacher, was teaching a physical education class in the school’s pool without proper credentials, Prosecutor Eric Smith said. The student, Keair Swift, who also lived in Detroit, somehow got into the pool, sank to the bottom and drowned before a fully-clothed assistant principal dove in and pulled the youngster out. 

“This is tragic but more importantly it certainly could have been prevented,” Smith said. “The inaction by Mr. Sails rises above normal negligence.

“It is a case of gross negligence.”

Eastpointe police are in contact with Sails’ attorney. He told police Tuesday morning his client would appear in 16th District Court in Eastpointe for arraignment.

The incident occurred Nov. 8

Smith also put blame on the school district for allowing Sails to teach the class to beginning swimmers without a state certification. Smith said in order to teach swimming an instructor is required to be a certified lifeguard.

Smith added the investigation was drawn out because as attorneys in his office checked with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices to see if there was any precedent established for charging school officials.

“We tried to put together a case against East Detroit schools but we could not,” Smith said. “We believe the school district was negligent but we just couldn’t charge them.”

More here

A more detailed account of what happened can be read here