Cowboys Players Sued for Teen's Near Drowning at Football Camp

Anthony Spencer, other players, named in lawsuit

The family of a 13-year-old boy that nearly drowned at a summer camp hosted by Cowboys players is suing current and former players for more than $1 million.

According to documents filed in the lawsuit, the family of James Jackson Jr. and their attorneys say the players let Jackson and several other campers go swimming in the pool without proper supervision.

Jackson was found floating in the pool after having nearly drowned and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The four-day camp at the University of North Texas started on July 11. Jackson was found in the pool that first night. UNT says lifeguards were on duty at the time.

The lawsuit targets defensive end Anthony Spencer, for whom the camp is named, wide receiver Miles Austin, cornerback Brandon Carr, former player Sterling Moore and the camp organizer, Sports International Inc.

The suit claims the players should pay for the teen's "pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, medical bills and future loss of earning capacity."

In a statement issued Tuesday, the attorneys for Sports International, Spencer, Carr and Moore said, "The accident at issue -- while extremely unfortunate -- was not the result of any alleged negligence on the part of Sports International, Inc., Anthony Spencer, Miles Austin, Brandon Carr or Sterling Moore. These players had nothing to do with the voluntary swimming activity."

Sports Connection

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

Watch kids adorably fill out Sweet 16 bracket based on team mascots

Kids make March Madness picks based on mascots

Two of the players did not attend the camp until the day after the incident and another did not attend until two days after the accident, the statement said.

"Simply stated, the decision of plaintiffs' counsel to name the players as defendants in this case is nothing more than an improper, bad faith attempt to gain publicity and forum shop," the attorneys said.

NBC 5 reached out to the Cowboys for comment on the lawsuit, but the team had no comment.

Dallas County court records did not show when a hearing in the case would occur. According to the Dallas County District Court website, Moore and Spencer haven’t officially been notified of the suit.

Contact Us