Families sue Texas charter school claiming coach's punishment hospitalized students

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SAN ANGELO, Texas - Twelve families are suing a Texas charter school claiming a coach's punishment led to the hospitalization of 20 students.

The parents suing Texas Leadership Charter Academy in San Angelo claim around 50 students were forced to perform continuous push-ups for more than an hour without rest or water. 

Attorneys for the parents said in the days following the punishment that as many as 20 students were hospitalized with serious injuries, including rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving the rapid breakdown of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney failure and death.

Punishment handed out over jersey mix-up

Court documents filed in Dallas County state the punishment came after two students were assigned the same jersey number, which attorneys said was a mistake made by the coaches, not the students.

The lawsuit claims dozens of students, some as young as 14, were forced to endure the push-up punishment.

What they're saying:

"When children collapsed, the coaches ordered them to get up and continue," court documents said. "When children cried out in pain, the coaches mocked them for being weak. When children begged to stop, the coaches blew whistles and demanded more. The gymnasium doors were closed. The children were trapped. And not one adult in that building lifted a finger to help them."

According to court documents, the punishment occurred over the course of three days in February and at least five coaches and one school administrator were present during the punishments.

The attorneys claim several students were later referred to specialists for permanent kidney damage and some students are still undergoing medical treatment, physical therapy and recovery from lasting physical and emotional effects. Some students have been told that they could be facing long-term or permanent limitations on physical activity.

"When the children began showing up at the emergency room when the hospital beds filled with broken, terrified students from the same school not one coach, not one administrator, not one school official called a single family to ask if their child was okay," court documents state.

The lawsuit claims the school went into "cover-up mode" following the incident by reassigning coaches and inserting liability waivers into future registration forms. It also claims employees were told to delete incriminating emails.

What they're saying:

"What happened here reflects a profound failure to protect student safety. It’s not discipline — it’s abuse," Attorney Ryan C. Johnson said. "According to the allegations, these students were pushed to the point of serious, life-threatening injury while the adults responsible for their safety stood by and did nothing. This went on for days, despite clear and escalating signs that these children were in distress. Schools are entrusted to protect students, not break them. This lawsuit is about holding every responsible party accountable and making sure this never happens to another child."

The other side:

Texas Leadership Public Schools said they disagreed that the school participated in an institutional cover-up, but said they would not comment on the specifics of the case, citing federal privacy laws.

"Texas Leadership disputes the Plaintiffs’ characterization of an alleged institutional cover-up by the School, and the School is confident that the facts will ultimately show that (i) Texas Leadership administrators timely reported the alleged misconduct to DFPS/CPS, (ii) Texas Leadership has been transparent in addressing this with parents, and (iii) Texas Leadership is actively cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation," they said in a statement. "The safety, health, and education of our students remain our top priority, as reflected in our timely response to the underlying situation. We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment where students can grow, learn, and succeed."

Big picture view:

The lawsuit claims the school's athletic student handbook encourages coaches to give out punishments like what was given to the children in the lawsuit, citing a section that gives physical punishments for rules violations.

No teacher or staff member reported the punishment as abuse as legally required, according to court documents. Instead, hospital staff notified Child Protective Services and the police, court documents state.

The lawsuit claims the school finally notified parents of the incident on March 3, six days after it happened, and only because San Angelo police got involved and recommended that the students involved be taken to a doctor for evaluation. Then, on March 13, it was announced that both the head football coach and the athletic director were leaving TLCA and three other coaches had been removed from coaching duties but would remain with the school.

The lawsuit is claiming negligence and gross negligence while seeking $500,000 in damages.