A high school football player from Pennsylvania has sued his former high school, claiming that he suffered two concussions during a 2010 game, and didn’t receive any care from coaches or other school officials until the next morning.
Plaintiff William Croce filed the civil lawsuit in federal court last month, naming the West Chester School District as the lone defendant.
He is seeking more than $100,000 in damages.
The alleged concussions occurred on Oct. 25, 2010 when the plaintiff was playing guard in a Junior Varsity home game against Bishop Shanahan High School. Croce claimed he blocked an opponent and then “blacked out for a second on the field. While on the field, after he came to, the plaintiff grasped his head with both hands due to the severe pain he was experiencing in his head.” He then went to the sidelines, where he allegedly told his coaches his head hurt. However, “at no time did Coach Richards or any member of the coaching or training staff examine plaintiff to determine whether he needed medical attention or even to determine if he had a concussion,” according to the complaint.
“(N)ear the end of the game, Coach Richards reinserted the plaintiff into the game on a kickoff as a member of the special teams,” claimed the plaintiff. On that play, Croce was knocked unconscious again. He went on to note that participating on special teams plays “is universally known to the entire football community as producing the most violent collisions between players.”
Croce struggled the next day and for several days after that, displaying symptoms of a concussion, including nausea, dizziness, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. His doctor would later find that he “failed all balance and concussion tests,” according to the complaint. A concussion specialist would later place him “on brain rest until mid-December when finally he was cleared to meet with a tutor one to two hours at a time.”
Croce, who says he can no longer wear contact lenses, and struggles with concentration, reading, and computer work, is represented by Gregory Stagliano of Media, Penn.
His lawsuit listed two counts — assault and battery and state created danger theory. He also noted that the entire junior varsity coaching staff was fired after the incident as evidence that the school was negligent.
In addition, Croce claims he was denied his right to bodily integrity under the 14th Amendment.
