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ROCKWALL, Texas – A parent is suing a former Rockwall-Heath High School coach and others over a grueling workout that allegedly sent several football players to the hospital last year.
The Backstory: The lawsuit pertains to a very strenuous workout that members of the Rockwall-Heath football team underwent in January 2023 as punishment.
A group of football players were allegedly forced to do many pushups as punishment for infractions that allegedly included dress code violations, negative attitude and more. According to a parent of a child who was hospitalized, players had to do 300 pushups during an hour with no break or water.
Following the training session, the lawsuit claims 26 players suffered injuries.
John Harrell
Former Rockwall-Heath head football coach John Harrell was placed on administrative leave by the district at the time.
He later resigned in March 2023.
The parents of two Rockwall Heath High School football players are speaking out about a workout they call excessive and unnecessary. Their sons were hospitalized with a dangerous medical condition because of the 400 pushups.
What We Know: The lawsuit names Harrell and 12 other coaches.
The suit claims all of the coaches had something to do with the workout.
The mother of one of the athletes filed the suit. Her son ended up with rhabdomyolysis, a stress-induced medical condition where muscle breaks down too fast.
In the days following the workout, other players started showing signs of that same condition, according to the lawsuit.
The son of the woman who filed the suit spent seven days in the hospital.
The lawsuit seeks $250,000 to cover medical expenses.
Information in this article comes from the lawsuit filed in Rockwall County and past FOX 4 coverage.
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