The family of 20‑year‑old Denis Geovani Ba Ché has reached a confidential settlement in the wrongful-death lawsuit over his October 12, 2023, death, after he fell through the gym roof at Glencliff High School while working on a roofing crew. On Friday, Davidson County Circuit Court Judge David Briley approved the agreement, which resolves claims that named Metro, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and multiple contractors and insurers connected to the project.
Judge Signs Off On Settlement
According to the Nashville Banner, plaintiffs' attorney Karla Campbell traveled to Guatemala this week to meet with Ba Ché's family and finalize the settlement terms, and she declined to disclose how much the family will receive. Metro attorney Allison Bussell told the Banner that Metro did not contribute any money to the settlement. Court filings show Judge Briley approved the paperwork in Davidson County Circuit Court, closing out the civil case while keeping the actual payment amount out of public view.
TOSHA Report Found Structural And Fall‑Protection Failures
As detailed by Roofing Contractor, a TOSHA investigation found years of water damage in the Glencliff gym roof. The agency concluded that a failure to verify the roof's structural integrity and a failure to require adequate fall‑protection both contributed to Ba Ché's death. Investigators reported that workers and subcontractors were not allowed to inspect the interior decking before being sent onto the roof, which meant hidden cavities and weakened decking were neither marked nor blocked off before crews went to work.
Family's Lawsuit And The Early Allegations
According to WSMV, a cousin filed the wrongful‑death complaint in 2024 on behalf of Ba Ché's parents. The suit accuses MNPS, Metro and two contractors of negligence along with wage‑and‑hours violations. Family members and advocates have said the employer initially withheld information about where his body was located and asked relatives to sign a paper absolving the company before releasing it, an allegation they described publicly at a 2024 press conference. Court dockets show the case was removed to federal court in mid‑2024, with public filings available on Justia.
A Push For Oversight
Ba Ché's death also became part of a broader political fight over how Nashville polices safety on public projects. As WPLN reported, his case helped accelerate a Metro Council effort to create a contract and compliance board that would inspect city projects and review safety and wage concerns. The ordinance, sponsored by Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, would fund on-the-ground inspectors as well as an executive director, and would give the board authority to evaluate existing Metro construction contracts. In a stark bit of legislative drafting, the official bill text names Ba Ché alongside other recent workplace fatalities. The full text is posted on Legistar.
Legal Implications
The settlement brings the family's civil claims to a close, but the terms remain private and do not erase the public record of TOSHA's investigation or any administrative citations that followed. Metro has said it disputes the plaintiffs' factual narrative and has emphasized that it did not contribute financially to the settlement. The companies named in the suit have also disputed liability in earlier statements. For a deeper look at the case history and earlier coverage, see prior reporting from WSMV.
