Congressman Smith: Braedon Bradforth’s death was 100% preventable

Joanne Atkins-Ingram, center, her attorney, Jill E. Greene, and Congressman Chris Smith, held a press conference on April 7, to demand an independent investigation into the death Braeden Bradforth, Atkins-Ingram’s son

Congressman Chris Smith said that the independent report into the death of 19 year Braedon Bradforth was “utterly heartbreaking” as the report concluded the the tragedy was 100% preventable.

 “The investigator found that ‘a striking lack of leadership’ by Garden City Community College officials ‘set off a series of events that ended with the death of Braeden Bradforth.’ I can only imagine how difficult this is for Braeden’s mom, Joanne, to read; yet it is exactly what she and I have long requested—a transparent and independent review of the facts so steps can be taken to prevent another death of a student athlete,” Smith said.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

College to release report on Braeden Bradforth’s death

Joanne Atkins-Ingram, center, her attorney, Jill E. Green, and Congressman Chris Smith, held a press conference on April 7, to demand an independent investigation into the death Braeden Bradforth, Atkins-Ingram’s son

Garden City Community College, of Garden City, Kansas, announced today that they have received the independent investigation report into the death of Braeden Bradforth and that the report will be released to his family.

Braeden, a Neptune High School football standout was a freshman at GCCC when he died of heat stroke following his first day of practice in August of 2018.

Congressman Chris Smith, R-NJ4, said the college was doing the right and compassionate thing by releasing the report of Braeden’s mother, Joanne Atkins-Ingram.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Smith Introduces Bill Named For Braedon Bradforth

Congressman Smith meets with some of the 200 friends, family members and supporters of Braeden’s mother, Joanne Atkins-Ingram, who came out at the Aug. 1 memorial in Neptune. At left is Robert Ingram, Braeden’s step-father, and Jill Greene, Joanne’s attorney.

Bill would create a commission to review heat stroke exertion risk to student athletes

Continuing his career long practice of writing legislation that arises from constituent service, Congressman Chris Smith introduced a bill in the House of Representatives on Friday named for Braedon Bradford, the 19 year old Neptune Township football player who died of exertional heat stroke on August 2, 2018 at Garden City Community College in Kansas where he was a freshman scholarship player. Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Celebrating the life of Braeden Bradforth on the 1st anniversary of his death

Joanne Atkins-Ingram remembers her son, Braeden Bradforth , during a celebration of his life on the 1st anniversary of his death.

By Jarrett Branch

A group of about 100 community members, family and friends showed up in force at the Pop Warner Football field in Neptune Township on Thursday evening to celebrate the life of Braeden Bradforth, the 19 year old  football player who died of heatstroke at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas last August 1, during his first day of practice as a scholarship player of the school’s team.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Braeden Bradforth’s Death Will Be Investigated

Brraeden Bradforth and his mother, Joanne Atkins-Ingram, celebrating his graduation from Neptune High School

Garden City Community College, the Kansas school where Braeden Bradforth, a football standout from Neptune died last August 1 following an intense day of workouts, has reversed course after months on stonewalling the cause and circumstances of the tragedy and agreed to fund a $100,000 independent external investigation. Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

NJ Congressional Delegation Joins Smith’s Fight For Braeden Bradforth

Joanne Atkins-Ingram, center, her attorney, Jill E. Green, and Congressman Chris Smith, held a press conference on April 7, to demand an independent investigation into the death Braeden Bradforth, Atkins-Ingram’s son.

New Jersey’s 11 Democrat members of the House of Representatives joined the delegation’s sole Republican, Congressman Chris Smith, this week in the battle to achieve justice for Braeden Bradforth, the 19 year old Neptune, NJ  football player who died suddenly at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas last August.

The 12 members of Congress jointly signed a letter to Ryan Ruda, president of the college, demanding an independent investigation into the young Monmouth County man’s death.

Bradforth died on August 1, 2018 following a football practice on his second day on the GCCC squad.  The team’s coach, Jeff Sims, attributed Bradforth’s death to a blood clot.  The local medical examiner ruled the cause of death extreme heat stroke.  The college administration destroyed surveillance video.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Congressman Smith suspects a cover-up in the death of Braeden Bradforth

Congressman Chris Smith said that the legalistic stonewalling on the part of Garden City Community College “begs the question of a cover-up” of wrong doing or negligence regarding the death of 19 year old football player Braeden Bradforth.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet