Former Rockwall-Heath High School head coach John Harrell and 12 other Heath coaches have been named defendants after a January 2023 workout left one player hospitalized and "at least" 26 players injured, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The suit was filed by the mother of a Rockwall-Heath player after her son was hospitalized with rhabdomyolsis, a stress-induced muscle disorder that can cause kidney damage.
The workout took place in January 2023, and the suit is being filed now, the plaintiff's attorney said, because efforts to settle the case out of court failed and the 2-year statute on limitations expires next month. The plaintiffs are seeking $250,000 after out-of-court efforts to get Harrell to cover medical expenses failed.
Located east of Dallas, Rockwall ISD hired a third-party law firm to investigate the workout, and Harrell resigned in March 2023, after the firm delivered its findings to the district.
Parents told the Morning News that players were required to complete between 300 and 400 push-ups within an hour timeframe with no water breaks, a workout that was prescribed as punishment, and that the coaches were negligent for failing to monitor the players during the workout.
The law firm's report found that the workout went against Rockwall ISD's guidance, which discouraged using workouts as a form of punishment. The law firm's report said several players who sought medical attention were bullied afterward, with their "manhood" questioned in online comments.