Name not reported

Jerry Cooper, a former student at the Florida School for Boys, told Atavist magazine in 2013 about a teammate with asthma who collapsed while training in the school's gym, which had no air conditioning. Cooper said that when he ran for help, a school official took hold of his gun and threatened to shoot him. He said the teammate died on the gym floor.

Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (neglect alleged). Former student Jerry Cooper says an asthmatic teammate collapsed while training in a gym without air conditioning, and that a school official drew a gun and threatened to shoot when Cooper ran for help.

Reported by: Jerry Cooper, former student, in Atavist magazine (2013) (witnesses).

Source

• The Real Story Behind 'Nickel Boys' and the Brutal Florida Reform School That Inspired the Film Smithsonian Magazine, February 24, 2025