An angry mother in Texas is suing her son’s former football coach for allegedly making his players perform a grueling workout that caused her child to be hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening medical condition.
According to reports, the former Rockwall-Heath High School coach named John Harrell, as well as 12 of his assisant coaches were named in a recent lawsuit, which alleges that the staff made players do nearly 400 push-ups with no rest or water break in an hour on Jan. 6. 2023, according to the Rockwall County Herald Banner.
The attorney representing the parent, Mike Sawicki, said his client’s son could have faced “kidney failure” if it went untreated, causing significant potential harm.
Sawicki’s law firm was also hired to investigate the allegations, and it found that inappropriate workouts caused the student’s injuries.
“This is not, I stubbed my toe or this is not I’m a little winded after running some sprints. This is a potentially long-term, life-affecting injury, and it’s not something you’re just going to tough out,” Sawicki told the local TV station.
Why Did Texas Football Coach John Harrell Make Team Do 400 Pushups In An Hour?
Reportedly, this was not a normal workout routine, but one with an elevated intensity, as coaches apparently used them to discipline players for not showing enough “hustle” on the field, uniform infractions and other things.
The boy’s mother was reportedly outraged and claims that her son spent seven days in a hospital, according to Fox 4, adding “Coach Harrell wrote the program that said any little infraction for all sorts of different reasons would result in these push-ups.”
26 Players Diagnosed WitPotentially Fatal Medical Condition After Workout
The workout was reportedly so burdensome that at least 26 players were allegedly diagnosed or had symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, also known as “rhabdo.” It’s a potentially fatal medical condition that causes the depletion of muscle tissue and leads to the release of dangerous muscle fiber contents into the blood.
Harrell was placed on administrative leave from the school following the January 2023 allegations and resigned as coach two months later, with no formal charges being filed.
Harrell Already Had Two Law Suits Settled
Sawicki says he’s already settled two previous lawsuits against Coach Harrell from other parents whose children did the workout, but this latest lawsuit now extends to the coaches, after Sawicki says he acquired information that the coaches also played a role in enforcing the punishment. He also added that he does not believe they knew the risk they put their players in while making them do the high number of push-ups.
“I think it’s a function of not asking the right questions or ignoring the data that was already out there,” said Sawicki.
What Does Lawsuit Entail?: Coaches Were Also Liable
According to reports, the lawsuit has information from a previous confidential report by the district. The district’s investigation found damning information revealing that coaches discussed students’ injuries in private messages and hinted that nutritional supplements may be to blame for the injuries, the Rockwall County Herald Banner reported.
The report also alleged that some coaches actively played a part in creating a culture of fear by undermining the credibility of injured players, therefore manipulating other kids in the school against them.
Several parents told investigators that their kids were victims of bullying by other students in an apparent attempt to intimidate the victims into being silent about the ir injuries stemming from the workout.
School AD Warned Against Extreme Exercise As Punishment: Coache Ignored
Anither stressful fact to this situation, according to the lawsuit, is that the school’s athletics director specifically warned coaches not to use physical exercise as punishment, reportedly remindingthem that it “can lead to major legal issues and consequences. ”
Regretfully, the coaching staff ignored the mandate set forth by the AD and now they are suffering the consequences of legal action that can shatter them financially and devastate the football program for years to come.