hroughout his time at Wesley, Mr. Kariem served as our IT Manager, a technology teacher, and a robotics coach, leaving a lasting impact on generations of students and colleagues. His love for Wesley, dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did. 

Kariem's death happened about two weeks after Six Flags permanently closed a California roller coaster at the center of numerous lawsuits alleging multiple riders suffered brain injuries.

The theme park chain recently announced it was  retiring  the Magic Mountain coaster X2 after more than 20 years in operation, while noting that it had  consistently passed a multitude of safety tests. 

 Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,  said Brian Oerding, the president of Six Flags Magic Mountain Park, when announcing X2's retirement last month.

California attorney Gary Dordick is representing more than 100 people who say they were injured after riding Six Flags rides, including X2. He said Monday's incident, and the injuries suffered by his clients, indicate a systemic problem.

 There's insufficient regulation. There's insufficient standards for the operation of these kinds of roller coasters,  Dordick said.  And then you combine that with this idea that over the past many years, they want these roller coasters to go faster and higher and twist more, and they become more dangerous. 

In its comments Tuesday, Six Flags said,  The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority. 

Dordick said the fatal incident in Georgia makes it clear it is time for change.

 This is just amusement. These are families that pay a fee to go have some fun with their kids and their friends. There shouldn't be a risk of serious injury and death,  he said.