A Texas mother is suing the former football coach of her teen son after he allegedly made his players do a grueling workout that led to her child being hospitalized.
John Harrel and at least 12 assistant coaches at Rockwall-Health High School were named in a lawsuit for allegedly forcing players to complete 400 push-ups within an hour. This led some players to develop rhabdomyolysis.
"Coach Harrell wrote the program that said any little infraction for all sorts of different reasons would result in these push-ups," Mike Sawicki, the attorney representing the mother in the lawsuit, said, per Fox 4 News.
What Did the Lawsuit Claim?
The lawsuit alleged that on Jan. 6, 2023, Harrel and the assistant coaches required players to perform 400 push-ups in an hour without any water or rest breaks. The push-ups were the coaches' way of disciplining the players for failing to show "hustle" on the field and for wearing the wrong uniform, according to the Rockwall Herald Banner.
The workout reportedly led to 26 players developing rhabdomyolysis, which is a serious medical condition characterized by the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This breakdown leads to the release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream, which can cause acute kidney injury, electrolyte imbalances that lead to heart arrhythmias, compartment syndrome, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
The son of the mother filing the lawsuit, specifically, spent seven days in the hospital following the grueling workout. She is now seeking compensation for the medical expenses.
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Coaches Discredited Injured Players
In addition, the lawsuit claimed that the school athletic director had already warned the coaches against using physical exercise as a disciplinary strategy. However, claimants said the coaches ignored the warning.
An independent investigation into the incident also found that the coaches were discussing their players' injuries on a private chat messaging system and suggested that nutritional supplements, not the grueling workout, were to blame for the outcome.
Furthermore, investigators found evidence that the coaches were attempting to discredit the injured players by claiming the students were abusing supplements to explain their ailments. Some parents said their kids were bullied and discouraged from speaking out about the injuries.
Harrel has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. He resigned from his position in March 2023.
