Boy who died in blisteringly hot P.E. class inspires new law to protect students during extreme weather

When 12-year-old Yahushua Robinson died while running during a PE class in triple-digit temperatures, his mother could not help but feel like the tragedy was preventable.

Now, a little more than a year later, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill aimed at ensuring all California students are better protected during heatwaves .

Senate Bill 1248 — dubbed Yahushua's Law — will require public schools to adopt uniform safety guidelines for physical activity during extreme weather. Robinson's family played a key role in getting the legislation to Newsom's desk.

"This law symbolizes a commitment to child safety and the embodiment of Yahushua's values in recognizing our shared humanity within every student," said Christina Laster, an advocate for the Robinson family, in a statement about the bill.

Yahushua died in August 2023 after collapsing during his class at Canyon Lake Middle School in Lake Elsinore. The high temperature that day was 107 degrees.

The boy died of a heart defect, with heat and physical exertion as contributing factors, according to a report from the Riverside County coroner's office.

His mother, Janee Robinson, is a PE teacher in the same school district and told ABC7 that she kept her students inside on that blisteringly hot day.

"These students should not have been outside, and to think that my child died while my students were in," she told the station.

Yahushua's Law, which will go into effect in July 2026, will eliminate the need for teacher discretion during heatwaves by requiring districts to implement a standard set of guidelines to keep students safe. The bill will also require districts to create policies for other types of dangerous weather — such as poor air quality or high winds.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger).

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” she said in a statement. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson ... for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .