Stephen Elliott
June 3, 2024
The case partially inspired the proposed contract compliance board aimed at workplace safety, wage theft allegations
The parents of a 20-year-old Guatemalan laborer who died last year after falling from the roof at South Nashville’s Glencliff High School are suing Metro, the school system, an insurance company and two contractors, alleging negligence, wrongful death and discrimination.
The parents of Denis Geovani Ba Ché, who live in rural Guatemala, filed the lawsuit Friday afternoon in Davidson County Circuit Court, represented by Stranch, Jennings & Garvey attorney Kerry Dietz. She also represented the family of 16-year-old Gustavo Ramirez, who died in 2020 while working on a hotel project near Nissan Stadium.
“I’ve really seen how easy it is for workers — especially minority workers, especially immigrant workers — how easy it is for them to slip through the cracks,” Dietz told the Banner. “There are very few, if any, mechanisms in place to catch safety violations on projects like this.”
In addition to the Metro government and Metro Nashville Public Schools, the complaint names primary contractor Eskola, subcontractor Jr. Roofing & Construction and Builders Mutual Insurance Company as defendants. The complaint allows other plaintiffs to join the case, alleging that the young worker was not adequately trained or supervised. Additionally, the complaint links the worker’s Latino heritage to the majority Latino population at Glencliff.
