Arizona State University is retaining a former Arizona Supreme Court justice to review university policies after a hockey team practice left a player hospitalized. But the student’s family says the university’s response still falls short.
Matthew Mayich collapsed from heatstroke during an outdoor workout in August. His family’s attorney has said the 21-year-old is unlikely to recover.
An ASU Police investigation is ongoing.
But Mayich’s family and members of his team have been calling for an independent investigation, saying the university should not investigate itself.
ASU senior vice president for educational outreach and student services James Rund on Friday announced former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales will review facts and make recommendations about school policies.
Bales has been asked to review policies including university guidelines for planning and approval of outdoor athletic activities, policies for preparation for and response to adverse events during outdoor athletic activities, and use of outside consultants in strength and conditioning and practice activities.
“Justice Bales will identify and engage participants necessary for a complete and thorough review and may retain additional assistance from others as needed,” Rund’s announcement said. “ASU student athletes will be invited to provide information and suggestions, and to ask questions, with options for confidential and anonymized participation.”
In a statement, Robert Carey, an attorney for the Mayich family, said Bales is a qualified choice but a review of policies is not what’s needed.
“What is necessary, and what the Mayich family has asked for and deserves, is an investigation of what went wrong on that field and who is responsible. Justice Bales has not been asked to answer those fundamental questions,” Carey said.
Carey said ASU should expand Bales’ mandate to include questions about who is to blame.
“Otherwise, it should appoint a second independent investigator to examine what ASU's employees did and failed to do, and the conduct of whomever they allowed to run the workout that left Matthew Mayich in a hospital bed fighting for his life,” Carey said. “Justice Bales should report to the Board of Regents, not to the office whose own review has missed too much. The findings should be made public.”
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