Tittle & Perlmuter Retained to Represent the Family of Toshaye Pope

 July 26, 2022 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Attorney Allen Tittle of Tittle & Perlmuter has been retained to investigate the tragic death of 14-Year-Old Toshaye Pope, who drowned at Melanie Lake while under the supervision of the Akron Public Schools System, the Ellet High School Football Program, and Melanie Lake, Inc. 

Toshaye was a student athlete and incoming freshman at Akron Early College High School. Because his specialty school does not have a football team, he was permitted to play at Ellet High School. At the time of his death, he was attending a football team event at Melanie Lake, though his parents were never informed of the team’s plans until they received a phone call from law enforcement to rush to the hospital. 

Attorney Allen Tittle has released the following statement: 

“This family is heartbroken and in grief because of the loss of their son. This young man was the kind of son every parent would hope for – not only was he a scholar-athlete, but also his positive personality could light up the room. Obviously, the family is devastated. 

A freshman football player’s family should not have to worry about whether their son is going to come home from team events. We intend to get answers for Toshaye’s grieving family and request prayers as they try to get through this unthinkable loss. We will investigate whether the safety rules were followed by all involved; and if they were not, hold those responsible accountable for their actions.” 

If you are interested in contributing to a GoFundMe account to help the family cover the costs of Toshaye’s funeral, you can contribute here. As the family grieves this significant loss, please respect their time of mourning. All media inquiries should be directed to Tittle & Perlmuter.