The Latest: Hospital sued over school principal’s death

ROSELAND, N.J. — The Latest on a lawsuit in the case of a high school principal who died after a procedure to donate blood marrow to a French teenager (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

A lawsuit says the hospital where a popular New Jersey high school principal died after a procedure to donate blood marrow failed to take appropriate action as his oxygen level dropped.

Derrick Nelson fell into a coma at Hackensack University Medical Center in February and died in April.

The Westfield High School principal had agreed to donate bone marrow to an unidentified French teenager.

Nelson’s fiancée, Sheronda Braker, filed the wrongful death lawsuit on Monday. It seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Nelson left behind a 5-year-old daughter. He and Braker were scheduled to be married last month.

A hospital spokeswoman hasn’t commented Monday.

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11:25 a.m.

The fiancée of a New Jersey high school principal who died after a procedure to donate bone marrow to a student in France is suing the hospital.

Sheronda Braker’s lawsuit filed Monday names Hackensack University Medical Center.

Westfield High School Principal Derrick Nelson died in April, several weeks after lapsing into a coma during the procedure.

The 44-year-old, who had a young daughter, didn’t know the French teen. They were connected through Be the Match, a worldwide bone marrow registry network.

Nelson also served as an officer in the Army Reserve for more than 20 years and had recently re-enlisted.

The hospital didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

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The above item has been corrected to show that Nelson’s daughter is 5 years old, not 6.

The Associated Press