The family of a respected Arizona high school football coach is suing a Gilbert mental health facility after what they describe as a fatal medication mistake.
Kyle Slade, 39, a husband, father of four, and assistant football coach at Campo Verde High School, checked himself into Copper Springs East in September seeking help for depression. What was supposed to be a step toward healing turned into tragedy when he was given the wrong medication, according to the lawsuit filed by his family.
“To those who knew him, Kyle was larger than life,” his wife, Morgan Slade, said. “He loved his kids dearly. Those babies were his world. He was always snuggling, teaching, wrestling—just being the best dad.”
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The lawsuit claims that on September 28, a registered nurse employed by a temporary staffing agency administered 90 milligrams of methadone — a powerful opioid — instead of Slade’s prescribed antidepressant, Lexapro. The nurse, identified as Jason Bates, allegedly failed to confirm the patient’s identity, check his date of birth, or verify the medication label, according to NBC KPNX.
Instead, according to the complaint, Bates called out “James,” Slade’s given name, and handed him a cup containing the incorrect pills. The suit alleges that after the nurse reported the mistake, his supervisor mistakenly believed only nine milligrams had been given, not 90, and Slade was not taken to a hospital.
Hours later, Slade was found unresponsive. The lawsuit states it took nine minutes before staff administered Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses, and paramedics arrived another eight minutes later. Although emergency responders revived him temporarily and transported him to the ICU, he never regained consciousness.
“When I saw him at the hospital, I knew he was in really bad shape,” his wife said. “Trying to tell our kids—it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Slade’s family says he was an organ donor, and his organs went on to save several lives. Family, friends, and hospital staff honored him with a memorial walk in his final moments.
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The lawsuit names LifePoint Health, the parent company of Copper Springs East, and its staffing contractor, alleging negligence and unsafe cost-cutting measures. “I’m angry, I’m heartbroken, and I just can’t imagine what our son went through in those final hours,” said his mother, Christy Zundel.
In a statement, LifePoint Health expressed sympathy for the family but declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing patient confidentiality. Gilbert police confirmed that a criminal investigation remains open into the nurse’s actions, but have not released further details.