A Georgia mother is fighting to pass legislation inspired by the death of her 18-year-old son that would require employers to take additional steps when workers suffer head injuries on the job.
The proposed legislation, known as Sha’don’s Law, was inspired by the death of Sha’don Gordon, whose mother believes a severe head injury he suffered while working at a Whataburger in Buford, Georgia, should have triggered an immediate medical response.
The measure would apply to Georgia workers of all ages, with employers facing fines of up to $25,000 for willful noncompliance.
Fields said the proposed law is intended to ensure other families do not face the same questions she was left with after her son’s death.
“I want something done,” Fields said. “There’s a fine line between who protects the employee. My son didn’t get the basic as an employee.”
A Workplace Injury
Gordon went to work on the morning of March 19, 2025.
According to his mother, Olivia Fields, he was cleaning a grill at the Whataburger when a faulty handle snapped, sending him backward and causing him to strike the back of his head forcefully against a metal industrial table.
“The manager asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital, but he said he was OK,” Fields told Atlanta Black Star. “One of the witnesses that was sitting at the table with him while he waited for an Uber said his speech was slurred. You know, he wasn’t himself.”
Fields said Gordon was sent home in the mid-afternoon without receiving a professional medical evaluation.
She said she was not notified about the injury, despite being listed as his emergency contact.
A Changed Behavior
The following morning, Gordon went to school, where he spoke with a classmate and said his head felt like it was “on ten.” He told the classmate he planned to go home and take a hot shower.
Gordon returned home early that day.
When Fields arrived home from work, she said she found her son standing in his bedroom, expressionless, with tears streaming down his face.
“You know, I’m like, ‘Well, shucks. What is it, a girl?’ And he was like, no, and I was just teasing with him. I was like, ‘What is it, a boy?’ And he chuckled a little bit and he was like no. So, I kind of just brushed it off in some teenage stuff,” Fields said.
Fields said her son had no known history of mental health conditions before the workplace injury.
The next day, Gordon told his mother he wanted to move out.
The decision surprised her. Gordon had been giving Fields money to set aside to help him save for a car, and he asked her to return the money he had accumulated.
“He doesn’t have anywhere to go. It didn’t make sense,” Fields said.
Because Gordon was 18, Fields said she felt she could not stop him from leaving.
A Hotel Stay
Gordon left the family home the day before his death and checked into a Hyatt hotel.
Before leaving, he told his older brother where he was going. His brother later went to the hotel to spend time with Gordon before his death.
At some point during his stay, Gordon recorded a video in which his family said he appeared to be behaving differently than he had before the workplace injury.
“My other son said, ‘Mama, he’s talking like his third eye got woke,’ like when he hit his head, like something woke him. It was just too much impact on his brain,” Fields said.
A Tragic Turn
Four days after suffering the workplace head injury, Gordon was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Hyatt.
Fields said she did not learn about the full extent of what happened at work until after her son’s death, when her other son told her Gordon had confided in him about the workplace injury.
Researchers have found an association between concussions and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
A study at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people diagnosed with a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury had about twice the risk of suicide compared with people who did not have those brain injuries.
“The majority of people feel better within 1 to 2 weeks of experiencing a concussion. For anyone who has symptoms that last longer than this, or for anyone who notices a low mood or suicidal thoughts, it’s really important to seek medical attention,” Michael Fralick, one of the researchers, said.
Fields said the research caused her to look back at her son’s behavior differently.
“I was like, that’s what’s wrong with my baby,” she said.
Whataburger’s Response Under Scrutiny
Fields accuses Whataburger of failing to property document the incident or notify her about the injury since she was Gordon’s emergency contact.
“He was sent home to get rest for a few days and that was it. It was all made a joke of during this time,” Fields said.
The mother says Whataburger later gave her $2,500 to help with funeral expenses before she was blocked from contacting the company.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Whataburger for comment but has not received a response. The company also has not publicly commented on Gordon’s death.
Sha’don’s Law
Fields believes her son’s injury should have triggered a different response.
Democratic state Rep. Kim Schofield is expected to formally introduce Sha’don’s Law when the Georgia General Assembly convenes in January 2027.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Schofield for an interview, but she declined the request.
For Fields, the legislation is about turning the loss of her son into protections for other workers.
She said she does not want another family to be left wondering whether a workplace injury was properly handled or whether a loved one should have received medical attention.
