GILBERT, AZ — The family of a Valley football coach who died after allegedly being given the wrong medication at a Gilbert behavioral health facility has filed a lawsuit against the company and nurses involved in his care.
Kyle Slade, 40, checked into Copper Springs East in Gilbert in September for treatment of depression. According to a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, a temporary nurse at the facility mistakenly gave Slade 90 milligrams of methadone instead of his prescribed antidepressant.
"I took him in there to not hurt himself. And yet, it did just the opposite,” Kyle’s mom, Kristi, said.
The complaint alleges that instead of immediately sending Slade to the emergency room for treatment, he was sent back to his room and only taken to the hospital hours after receiving the fatal dose. Slade died, leaving behind his wife, Morgan, and four children.
"They took from us the most precious gift, and we can't get that back," Morgan Slade, Kyle's wife, told ABC15.
According to the family, four days into his stay, Kyle was given what he thought was Lexapro, an antidepressant that makes more serotonin available to the brain. Instead, medical notes included in the lawsuit show a temporary nurse mistakenly gave Kyle 90 milligrams of methadone, a medication used to treat opioid abuse patients.
The lawsuit filed alleges that at 6:40 a.m. on September 28, 2025, Kyle went to the nurse's station for his morning medications. A registered nurse, who the complaint states was neither a psychiatric nurse nor a regular employee but was there for the day from temp agency Nurseio, called out only the name "James" without announcing a last name, date of birth, or the medication being dispensed. James was Kyle Slade’s legal first name. The complaint alleges this violated nursing standards of care. Kyle responded and swallowed the pills the nurse handed him.
"For someone who is opioid naive, as little as 30 milligrams of methadone can be a fatal dose. And that was Kyle. He was there for depression, not to detox," said attorney Richard Lyons, who is representing the family.
The complaint alleges that the nurse should have sent Kyle directly to the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center emergency department, which was only half a mile away. Instead, the lawsuit states the nurse waited 37 minutes before doing anything and called the on-call physician, rather than calling 911 or sending Kyle for emergency medical care.
After the phone call, the complaint alleges Kyle still was not directed to the emergency department but was instructed to go to breakfast and then to his room.
Lyons called it "about the saddest case I could imagine."
The lawsuit filed states that in a note apparently written after Kyle's admission to the intensive care unit, the on-call doctor indicated he confirmed a 9-milligram dose of methadone while speaking with the nurse on the phone. The complaint notes that methadone pills do not regularly come in 9 milligram dosages.
Despite this, the lawsuit alleges the on-call doctor directed "observation" for Kyle.
According to the lawsuit filed, at 9:30 a.m., almost three hours after he was given the wrong medication, Kyle was discovered in his room unresponsive. The complaint states his pulse was 203, blood pressure 168/163, respiration rate was 5, and oxygen saturation was 23%.
The lawsuit alleges that despite these critical vital signs, it took nine minutes for Copper Springs East staff to call a Code Blue. Despite Kyle suffering from a methadone overdose and despite there being a standing Narcan order for every admitted patient at Copper Springs East, the complaint states nobody on staff gave Kyle Narcan.
The Gilbert Fire Department arrived at 9:47 a.m., quickly administered Narcan and CPR, and rushed Kyle to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where he was admitted to the ICU.
The complaint includes a note allegedly written by the on-call physician more than four hours after being informed Kyle was given methadone instead of Lexapro: "I was called by RN this morning, 7:17 a.m.. He reported that he incorrectly gave 9 mg of methadone to this patient... Was called later in the morning by the house supervisor at 10:02 a.m. That patient was found unresponsive, and was in fact given 90mg, not 9mg."
Brain imaging taken in subsequent days revealed Kyle had no brain activity, according to the lawsuit filed.
"If they would've made one different choice, just one, he would still be here today. But instead, they made mistakes, mistakes and mistakes," Kristi said.
"It could've been completely avoided, and it could've been fixed too, very easily," Morgan added.
The complaint alleges that if any of the defendants had directed Kyle to the emergency department when they learned of the methadone overdose, Kyle would have been admitted to the intensive care unit, placed on a Narcan drip, and almost certainly suffered no permanent ill effects.
Nothing in 18 years of marriage could prepare Morgan for the conversations that followed.
"The conversations I had to have with my kids were the hardest conversations I've ever had in my life," she said.
Kyle's organs were donated to others in need on October 3, 2025, five days after receiving the fatal dose.
"He was able to save a lot of lives,” Morgan said.
Kyle was a coach for the Campo Verde JV football team, a team his oldest son Ryan played for.
When his team took the field again, Kyle's son Ryan carried the "Donate Life” flag, aimed at inspiring more organ donors, during an emotional tribute.
"It was an away game, and we packed the stadium," Morgan Slade said. "Oh god, that was hard. It was beautiful, though."
The Campo Verde Coyotes won the game in Kyle's honor, with Ryan making his late coach and father especially proud.
The complaint seeks damages for medical negligence, wrongful death, negligent hiring and supervision, and punitive damages. Gilbert police told ABC15 on Wednesday, "We can confirm the Gilbert Police Department is conducting an active investigation into the incident that occurred at Copper Springs on September 28, 2025. Due to the active investigation, no additional information is available at this time.”
ABC15 made phone calls and left several messages with Copper Springs East on Wednesday, but did not get an answer. An email seeking comment from Lifepoint Health Inc. also did not receive a response.
A spokesperson for temp agency NurseIO Inc., who was also named in the lawsuit, did reply to ABC15’s request for comment:
“NurseIO is deeply saddened by the tragic incident at the behavioral health facility. Our thoughts are with the patient’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.
We are a credentialing and staffing marketplace that connects licensed healthcare professionals with facilities in need of temporary support. Every Professional using our platform undergoes credential verification, including confirmation of all active licenses and certifications, before being presented to a facility.
While NurseIO facilitates these connections, each contracting facility is responsible for onboarding, orientation, training, supervision, and ensuring compliance with its internal policies and procedures. Facilities determine which professionals to engage and oversee all aspects of patient care.
NurseIO does not direct or deliver patient care, but we take our responsibilities in credential verification and compliance seriously.
We are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities and remain committed to supporting healthcare facilities and professionals through transparent, compliant, and reliable staffing solutions.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
