The mother of a high school cheerleader in California has sued the Sweetwater Union High School District, alleging its coaches failed to follow concussion protocols after her daughter experienced a traumatic brain injury, thus leading to lingering damage.
Sasha Faraci, the mother and plaintiff in the case, filed the claim in San Diego Superior Court, seeking more than $25,000 in damages for medical expenses as well as legal fees and “general damages.”
The incident happened on Sept. 24, 2018, when the cheerleader, then a freshman, hit her head on the floor after performing a stunt. Faraci alleges that the coaches waited 45 minutes to call the girl’s parents. Then, allegedly, they failed to inform Faraci’s husband that she had suffered a concussion. Two days later, the girl was allegedly diagnosed with a concussion by the family’s primary care doctor.
According to the lawsuit, the concussion was so severe that it “has required her to seek ongoing medical care, which forced her to be absent from school for lengthy periods of time, essentially deprived her of her freshman academic year and her athletic pursuits.”
The plaintiff alleged that she complained to the school board, but to no avail. She reportedly told the board during a Nov. 13, 2018 meeting that “there’s a lack of communication from the coaches and protocol has not been followed.”
After there was no follow up, the mother went to the next board meeting on Dec. 10, 2018. A day later, the school’s assistant principal allegedly made an “angry phone call” to Faraci.
