HISD Superintendent Mike Miles issues statement on student's death

HOUSTON – After Wednesday and Thursday's press conferences were canceled, HISD Superintendent Mike Miles spoke to the media on Friday and made a brief statement, then left without taking questions.

It was the first time Miles spoke to the media since the death of Marshall Middle School student Landon Payton on Wednesday. Payton died Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency in the school's gymnasium.

Below is what Miles said verbatim on Friday. Shortly after he finished speaking, the district emailed the same statement. Below is the verbatim statement.

“On Wednesday, Houston ISD suffered a tremendous loss. We are devastated by the death of Landon Payton, a student at Marshall Middle School. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family. They are our highest priority during this unimaginable time. We have been focused this week on gathering information for the family and that is our top priority.

Emotions are running high, and that's a good thing during this difficult time. We have also been focused on providing resources, counseling, and support to the students and staff at Marshall Middle School. I am grateful for the valiant efforts of the students, teachers, school nurse, HISD police officers, Houston EMS, and Houston Fire Department at Marshall Middle School. I understand that many want to better understand what happened on August 14th.

Right now, the district's top priority is communicating directly with Landon's family and respecting their privacy. What we can tell you now is that Landon had a medical emergency during physical education class. He received immediate medical attention from Marshall Middle School teachers, HISD police and medical personnel. He also received medical attention from EMS and was transported to the hospital by EMS team.

As a father myself, my heart breaks for Landon's family. The district administration and the Marshall Middle School team stand behind the family and will do everything we can to support them during this time of crisis. The health and safety of our precious students is my top priority and that of the HISD faculty and staff.

I know you have more questions. This is the only information I can give you at this time. Thank you.