A Football Coach Forced Schoolchildren to Do 400 Push-Ups as Punishment (6 photos)

A Texas woman is suing her son's former football coach, claiming the coach subjected players to grueling workouts that left her son hospitalized.





The lawsuit alleges that on Jan. 6, 2023, Rockwall Heath High School football coach John Harrell and his assistants forced students to do nearly 400 push-ups in an hour without rest or water breaks. This was punishment for not working hard enough on the field.



The workout was so tough that at least 26 students were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal condition that causes muscle tissue to break down and leak muscle fiber contents into the blood.

An outraged mother claims her son spent seven days in hospital.





Former Rockwall Heath High School football coach John Harrell

The family's attorney, Mike Sawicki, said his client's son could have gone into "kidney failure" without treatment.

"This isn't just a stub of a toe or a little shortness of breath after a run. This is a potentially life-altering injury," Sawicki told a local television station.

"Coach Harrell made a rule that any minor infraction would result in push-ups."



The lawsuit also states that the school principal warned the coaches against using physical exercise as a punishment, as "such actions could lead to serious legal problems and consequences."

However, his request was ignored.

According to the lawyer, this was a desire to establish discipline.

After the incident, Harrell went on administrative leave, and two months later he resigned.



The lawsuit also states that the school principal warned the coaches against using physical exercise as a punishment, as "such actions could lead to serious legal problems and consequences."

However, his request was ignored.

According to the lawyer, this was a desire to establish discipline.

After the incident, Harrell went on administrative leave, and two months later he resigned.



The investigation found that coaches discussed their players' injuries in private messages and implied that supplements were to blame. They also allegedly tried to undermine the victims' trust.

Parents of several students told investigators that their children were victims of bullying at school, with the apparent goal of preventing them from disclosing their injuries.

Sawicki said Harrell had previously settled two lawsuits with the families of the children who were bullied.