The mother of an eight-year-old boy who choked to death on a piece of pineapple in his school cafeteria has filed a federal lawsuit against the Clark County School District in Nevada. Amanda Corbala alleges that a school employee failed to recognise her son Cruzito Ruiz was choking and sent him to the bathroom alone instead of seeking medical help.
The incident occurred on 25 February 2025 at Bass Elementary School. According to the complaint, Cruzito began choking around 11:20 a.m. and showed visible signs of distress, including slapping his own back and gesturing to his mouth. A fellow student alerted a school employee, who told Cruzito to go to the boys' bathroom instead of checking his airway or calling for emergency assistance.
Minutes later, students found Cruzito unconscious on the bathroom floor, having collapsed and turned blue. When first responders arrived, they removed a large piece of pineapple from his airway during a finger sweep. He was taken to hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered an anoxic brain injury caused by cardiac arrest following the choking episode. Cruzito never regained consciousness and died on 2 March 2025.
The lawsuit argues that the employee's actions violated Cruzito's civil rights by limiting his access to adult supervision and timely emergency intervention, including CPR and the Heimlich manoeuvre. The mother is seeking damages for loss of companionship and society, though no specific amount is stated.
Attorneys for the family said in a statement: 'Cruzito died at just 8 years old because a Clark County School District employee ordered him to go to the bathroom alone while he was choking at school. The family is heartbroken by the loss of their beloved Cruzito. His mother and family want to make sure it never happens again.'
The Clark County School District declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
