Former Shaker Heights High School Star Najee Hardaway, 26, Dies After Returning Home as an Elementary School Teacher
The Shaker Heights City School District is grieving the sudden passing of Najee Hardaway, a fourth-grade teacher at Lomond Elementary School who died at just 26 years old.
Superintendent Dr. David Glasner confirmed Hardaway’s death in a letter sent to families and staff across the district, describing him as someone who had left a permanent mark on everyone he encountered.
Records from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office indicate that Hardaway passed away at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. A cause of death has not yet been made publicly available.
What is clear, however, is that his absence has sent shockwaves through a community that knew him not only as an educator but as a hometown hero who never stopped giving back to the place that raised him.
A Shaker Heights Son Who Never Left His Roots
Hardaway was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and his connection to the community ran deep from an early age.
He attended Shaker Heights High School, where he was a two-time honorable mention all-conference basketball player. In his senior year, he helped lead the Red Raiders boys basketball team to a district championship, a run that captured the pride of the entire city.
After graduation, he went on to play college basketball at the College of Wooster, where he spent parts of five seasons suiting up for the Fighting Scots.
He averaged 8.9 points per game throughout his career, but his best season came in 2022 to 2023, when he averaged 12.3 points per game and earned a second-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection.
That same year, he helped Wooster claim the conference championship, capping off a college career built on hard work, consistency, and leadership.
His major at Wooster, Africana Studies and Education, told the story of where his heart truly was. Even while competing on the basketball court, Hardaway was preparing himself to pour back into young people.
A Classroom Where Students Felt Seen
After his playing days ended, Hardaway returned home and stepped into a role that suited him perfectly. As a fourth-grade teacher at Lomond Elementary School, he quickly became one of the most respected and beloved members of the staff.
Colleagues recognized him as a natural leader. Students adored him. Parents trusted him. He was the kind of teacher children remember for the rest of their lives.
Dr. Glasner described him in his letter to the community as “an outstanding educator who cared deeply for our students,” adding that Hardaway was a cherished presence both inside and outside the classroom.
In the wake of his death, Lomond Elementary was closed for students on Tuesday to allow the school community space to begin processing the loss. All other buildings in the district remained open.
Counseling and mental health professionals have been made available throughout the district to support students and staff. Glasner also shared resources for parents navigating conversations with grieving children.
“There are no perfect words for moments like this, and my heart is incredibly heavy,” Glasner wrote. “May Mr. Hardaway’s memory and legacy in Shaker Heights be for a blessing.”
Najee Hardaway was 26 years old. He was a son of Shaker Heights in every sense of the word.
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