BOSTON (WHDH) - The City of Boston has reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the family of a young boy who drowned at Carson Beach in July 2016.
Lawyers for the family of Kyzr Willis said that the settlement is worth $5 million.
“There was a settlement with the family,” Walsh said. “It was a sad situation. No amount of money is going to bring back Kyzr.”
Willis, 7, drowned while attending a drop-in program at the South Boston community center. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, saying staff members failed to give Willis a life jacket as required by state law. Willis could not swim.
The Willis family lawyers, Vikas Dhar and Robert Griffin of Dhar Law, met with the City of Boston’s law department in 2017 in an effort to resolve legal claims prior to litigation. When little progress was made, the wrongful death lawsuit was filed. Earlier this month, the city agreed to end the legal battle.
“Over the last 18 months, we just wanted to see the necessary changes happen. From a social justice perspective, no one wants to see a tragedy like this ever happen again,” Vikas Dhar said.
Walsh says the Willis family plans to use the settlement money to create a scholarship and foundation in Kyzr’s name.
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