Ohio State football commit Phillip Bell navigates mother’s death, father suing school

Mission Viejo star's August included committing to the Buckeyes, celebrating his and his late mother’s birthday, and his father filing a lawsuit

Mission Viejo’s Phillip Bell III is a standout high school football player dealing with the loss of his mother and whose father is suing the school district. / Greg Stein

Mission Viejo star wide receiver Phillip Bell III is growing up too fast.

Not because the high school senior's mature demeanor garners the cliché saying. Not because he’s a high-level football recruit headed to Ohio State. Not because he already has tattoos.

It's because he has no choice.

Bell is navigating trauma that no teenager should have to go through, losing his mother, Samantha, at the tender age of 17 years old. Samantha passed away in her sleep on June 27, 2024, according to the family’s GoFundMe page.

”I feel like she’s the only person I’ve had since I was born. Just me, my mom, and my sister,” Bell said.

Bell is navigating a heart-wrenching journey without his mother in his last year of high school — a weight that sits heavy on its own. But Bell’s journey is more convoluted after learning his biological father is suing the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Mission Viejo football coach Chad Johnson and many others.

“It’s crazy,” Bell said after the Diablos defeated Chaparral 51-10 on Friday, Sept. 27. “It’s been real hard. But I’m very thankful for my aunt, my mentor Steve and my sister. They’ve been with me through it all.”

Phillip Bell Jr. (Phillip Bell III’s father), along with Lorna and Anthony Barnes (Phillip Bell III's grandparents on his mother’s side) filed the lawsuit against the Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD), Klutch Sports, Next Level Sports & Academics, Isaiah Sandoval, Edward Wong, Tricia Osborne, Chad Johnson and Steve Briscoe.

Sandoval is Phillip Bell III's stepfather. Wong is the SVUSD Board of Education president. Osborne is the Mission Viejo High School principal. Johnson is the Mission Viejo head football coach. Briscoe is the co-founder and president of Next Level Sports & Academics.

Bell is regarded as one of the top high school wide receivers in the country. 247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins wrote that Bell has “NFL upside.”

Bell Jr. and Bell’s grandparents (the plaintiffs) are suing based on belief of the following, according to the filing obtained by SBLive/SI:

"1. Violation of the Fourteenth Amendment - Interference with a Familial Relationship 42 U.S.C. § 1983;

2. Monell claim 42 U.S.C. § 1983;

3. Negligence;

4. Negligence - Respondeat Superior;

5. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress - Respondeat Superior;

6. Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress; and

7. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress"

Bell played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Christian Brothers in Sacramento before moving to Southern California and enrolling at Mission Viejo as a junior.

“I really never had the best relationship with my dad," Bell said. "I feel like he tried to take control of me when my mom died. My grandparents on my mom’s side tried to do that as well. And I didn’t feel like it was right."

Bell had a heavy week to conclude August. His late mother’s birthday was Aug. 25. His 18th birthday was Aug. 30. And he committed to Ohio State on Aug. 31. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 19.

“It was emotional,” Bell said of his commitment. “It was exciting because I got to announce my commitment to the world … and I knew that was the school (my mom) wanted me to go to — that was the good part. But the sad part was her not being there.”

Phillip Bell III (right) with his mother and little sister when Bell III was a young boy. / Courtesy of Phillip Bell/Instagram

The Saddleback Valley Unified School District issued a statement when asked about the lawsuit.

"The Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) is committed to respecting the privacy and rights of all our students and families. While we are unable to comment on specific legal matters involving our students, we want to clarify that SVUSD denies any wrongdoing as alleged in the lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs in Barnes et al. v. Saddleback Valley Unified School District," the statement reads.

"As a district, we fully acknowledge and support the rights of parents and legal guardians to be actively involved in their student’s education. In line with our legal and ethical responsibilities, we strive to provide a supportive environment for all students on our campuses. However, SVUSD does not have the authority to issue or enforce custody orders; we simply adhere to our role in educating students who attend our schools in compliance with applicable laws."

The filing is based on allegations surrounding "...an entourage of adults harboring a talented teenage football star from a healthy relationship with his biological family, in a scheme to profit off of the teen’s talent...," according to the brief's introduction.

The plaintiffs are ”demanding a jury trial” and/or “prayer for relief in damages."

The 26-page brief makes allegations on several topics, spanning from Bell’s enrollment at Mission Viejo to Samantha Sandoval’s death.

"The loss of Samantha has deeply affected everyone, and this has been an incredibly challenging time," said Jamir Davis, Phillip Bell Jr.'s lawyer. "The blatant disregard by Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, and others has caused my clients significant emotional distress. Family relationships are sacred and are respected by the Constitution of this country. The defendants' actions have interfered with those relationships, and we hope that this lawsuit will bring the truth to light, allowing the family to heal and restore their relationship."

The brief touches on allegations on why the family left for Southern California. Bell Jr. (the biological father) lives in Folsom. It also claims the relationship between Bell’s mother and stepfather was hostile.

Mission Viejo's Phillip Bell tries to shed a De La Salle defender during the 2023 CIF D1-AA state title game / Joe Bergman

“They’re saying things about the people that have been helping me — saying ‘they’re keeping me away from them,’” Bell said. “But it’s my choice. Mission Viejo, Steve (Brisco) and my sister have all been there for me.”

Bell is trying to focus on football, but it’s been hard despite the Diablos starting the 2024 campaign 8-0 and ranked No. 3 in the latest SBLive/SI CIF Southern Section Top 25 rankings.

”I’ve tried to tell them again and again to stop, but I can’t control them — they’re grown,” Bell said. “But thankfully, I have football to keep me going. Some nights, when I don’t play well, it gets kind of hard. Because those are nights I can go to my mom.”

“I know what she wants me to do,” Bell said of his mother. “She just wants me to keep going. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

---

Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app:

Download iPhone App | Download Android App