Mead recounts Kay’s behavior

Longtime Angels exec is accused of failing to report employee's improper conduct.

- By STEVE HENSON

JAE C. HONG Associated Press

CARLI SKAGGS, center, the widow of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, speaks with attorney Rusty Hardin at the start of the wrongful death trial against the Angels.

Witness testimony began Wednesday with an accusation of negligent supervision in the high-stakes wrongful death trial against the Angels by the family of deceased pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Tim Mead, an Angels employee of 40 years, was portrayed by plaintiffs lawyer Rusty Hardin during five hours of direct examination as a well-meaning boss who ignored company policy by failing to report the improper conduct of Eric Kay, the team communications director who gave Skaggs the fentanyl pills that killed him.

Mead’s repeated description of Kay’s drug use as “prescription medication” was challenged by Hardin, who made the distinction that Kay taking opioids not prescribed to him was illicit drug use.

Hardin brought up a litany of instances where Kay likely violated Angels rules that could have resulted in discipline and even termination long before the July 2019 road trip to Texas during which Skaggs died in his hotel room after chopping up and snorting the illicit drugs provided by Kay.

Mead acknowledged that he knew of Kay’s years-long episodes of bizarre behavior, an extramarital affair with an intern and problems with prescription medication, but that he never reported any of it to human resources. Mead testified that he directed Kay to Angels team psychologist Erik Abell.

Hardin asked if he was putting Kay ahead of the organization by doing everything he could to save him, allow him to regain his health and keep him employed.

Mead responded: “I guess I wasn’t consciously doing it at the time. ... I was concerned about the organization, for him, his family and my staff.”