The family of former North Carolina Central University (NCCU) basketball player Devin Butts has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, alleging gross negligence and a failure to provide adequate medical care during a late-night offseason workout that led to his tragic death in May 2024.
Butts, 22, collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest during an unsupervised workout at McDougald-McLendon Arena on April 30, 2023. According to the lawsuit, Butts and three teammates entered the facility through a propped-open side door around 12:30 a.m. to engage in voluntary, team-related activities without the presence of coaches or medical personnel. The suit argues that this practice violated both university policies and NCAA offseason guidelines.
When Butts collapsed, his teammates immediately called 911. However, emergency medical personnel did not arrive until 18 minutes later. The only Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was reportedly locked inside a trainer’s room located in another part of the building. The lawsuit contends that the delay in accessing life-saving equipment critically contributed to Butts’ death, which occurred four days later at Duke University Hospital.
Filed with the North Carolina Industrial Commission, the lawsuit accuses NCCU of gross negligence and outlines several key failures: the lack of accessible emergency equipment, absence of trained medical staff during off-hours workouts, and what it describes as a “culture” within the basketball program that promoted unsupervised, after-hours training sessions.
The suit also names head coach LeVelle Moton, alleging that he indirectly encouraged players to participate in these late-night sessions without proper supervision or institutional oversight. Though the sessions were unofficial and outside required practice periods, the complaint asserts that there was an implied expectation for participation, placing undue pressure on student-athletes to push beyond their limits without adequate support.
The family is seeking monetary damages that include medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of future income, and punitive damages. They hope the case will shine a light on systemic safety lapses and catalyze meaningful reforms in how universities manage offseason and voluntary training environments.
Devin Butts was a native of Macon, Georgia, and had transferred to NCCU in 2022 following earlier stints at Mississippi State, Louisiana, and New Mexico Junior College. During the 2022–2023 season, he appeared in 17 games for the Eagles and was slated to graduate in June 2023.
As of early June 2025, NCCU has not issued a formal public response to the lawsuit. The case, however, has already reignited broader concerns about emergency preparedness and student-athlete safety—particularly within historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), where funding constraints can impact the availability of state-of-the-art athletic and medical infrastructure.
Advocates for athlete safety argue that this tragedy highlights the urgent need for more consistent emergency protocols, accessible AEDs in every athletic facility, and round-the-clock oversight whenever student-athletes are using training spaces. Critics also say it’s time for the NCAA to reassess how its regulations are enforced and whether universities are held accountable for off-hours activity.
The loss of Devin Butts has been felt deeply within the
