Parents sue Hampton school district over athlete's injury on baseball field

The parents of a junior varsity baseball player are suing the Hampton Township School District for negligence, alleging that poor conditions on the baseball diamond led to a season-ending injury for their son.

Jason and Joy Midgley claim their son, Holden Midgley, was hurt while playing second base during a game on April 17 at the school’s varsity baseball field on McCully Road.

Holden, who is scheduled to graduate in 2026, stepped into a hole in the grass infield that had been “improperly filled with soft gravel and dirt, creating a hidden and dangerous condition,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Holden’s foot slid and locked, the complaint said, causing a “loud pop” in his hip.

Holden tore his labrum, a ring of cartilage helping to cushion the hip joint. Surgery might be needed, the lawsuit said.

No one from the district returned messages Thursday.

The injury will continue to keep him from playing any sport for at least a year, according to Matthew Marquette, the family’s lawyer.

Marquette said the area had had recent drainage work, and the hole had been filled with infield dust instead of gravel and course sand.

“It’s essentially cat litter,” Marquette said. “Very soft.”

According to the complaint, coaches and parents expressed concern about the field’s condition and that the hole was inadequately filled.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial, compensation for medical expenses and other compensation.

“We have no reason to believe that the school board will not do the right thing, recognize this error, and compensate this young man for the injury that he sustained,” Marquette said.

Jocelyn Kramer, a solicitor for several school districts in Allegheny and Washington counties, said it is in a school’s best interests to “maintain exceptional facilities” in order to avoid lawsuits such as the one filed by the Midgleys.