ST. LOUIS — A father has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Affton Athletic Association, claiming the organization’s failure to properly vet and supervise one of its umpires directly contributed to the suicide of his 17-year-old daughter.
The lawsuit, filed April 13, 2025, in St. Louis County Circuit Court, alleges that Affton Athletic knowingly employed Zachary Barebo despite his criminal past and history of misconduct involving minors.
The plaintiff, Jeffery James, filed the petition both as H.J.J.’s father and as the personal representative of her estate, the complaint states.
The suit outlines four counts—two seeking damages for wrongful death and two brought on behalf of H.J.J.’s estate as alternative claims.
The filing details a series of events, including H.J.J.’s sexual abuse at the hands of Barebo and her subsequent suicide in February 2024, according to the suit.
According to the petition, H.J.J. was repeatedly sexually abused by Barebo in June 2023 when she was 16 years old.
The lawsuit states that Barebo was also accused of abusing another minor affiliated with the same youth sports organization that summer. H.J.J.’s suicide notes reportedly cited the abuse she endured as one of the reasons for her death, according to the suit.
Affton Athletic Association, a St. Louis-based organization that oversees youth sports leagues including baseball, softball and hockey, is accused of hiring and retaining Barebo despite his documented criminal history.
The suit claims that prior to working for Affton, Barebo had been arrested for multiple offenses, including crimes against minors.
A 2017 court case shows Barebo attempted to expunge an arrest for felony sodomy involving a minor, but the effort was dropped after the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office objected.
The lawsuit argues that Affton’s leadership either knew of Barebo’s past or failed to perform a reasonable background check, which would have revealed his arrest record via a public court database.
Despite being aware—or willfully ignorant—of his past, the organization allowed Barebo to work directly with minor children, the complaint states.
After allegations surfaced, the association permitted Barebo to resign rather than face termination, a move the suit characterizes as an attempt to avoid responsibility.
The court document also references a criminal case filed in 2023 in which Barebo was indicted on multiple charges, including statutory rape and sodomy involving H.J.J.
The charges also included offenses against another minor. However, the charges related to H.J.J. were dismissed due to her death before trial. Barebo eventually pleaded guilty to a felony charge involving the surviving victim, according to the suit.
In the petition, James emphasizes that the suit’s alternative claims are being filed in response to prior statements made by Affton Athletic representatives.
Those representatives, the suit alleges, questioned whether Barebo’s abuse contributed to H.J.J.’s death. James insists that bringing claims on behalf of H.J.J.’s estate is necessary to ensure Affton cannot evade accountability through such arguments.
The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $25,000. James is represented by Grant C. Boyd of the O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis.
St. Louis Circuit Court case number: 25SL-CC03991