Penn State found ‘friction’ between coach James Franklin, team doctor; could not determine violation

James Franklin

An internal review by Penn State in 2019 found evidence of “friction” between football coach James Franklin and a now-former team doctor, but it could not determine whether Franklin violated NCAA bylaws or Big Ten standards by interfering with medical decisions.

The 15-page document from Penn State’s office of ethics and compliance, dated June 3, 2019, was obtained by The Associated Press the day after a Pennsylvania jury awarded $5.25 million to Dr. Scott Lynch for winning a wrongful termination lawsuit against the hospital that employs him.

The report left undetermined if Franklin or anyone else at Penn State broke any rules. It acknowledged the athletic department’s desire to make a change came after periods friction between Lynch and senior leadership in the department. The report also recommend further inquiry.

Penn State said in a statement to The Associated Press it was extremely disappointed in the jury’s ruling last week. The school said its medical decisions regarding the care of athletes and whether they can compete adhere to NCAA rules and Big Ten standards.

“The changes made in the leadership for athletic medicine were made by the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with a singular focus: the best interests of our student-athletes,” Penn State said. “In the plaintiff’s own legal filing, which Penn State reported to the Big Ten Conference in compliance with its obligations, the plaintiff acknowledged that the medical care of our student-athletes was never influenced by coaches or anyone at the university.”

The school did not detail what internal follow-up — as suggested by the report — was done.

MEDICAL DECISIONS

Coaching staffs are expected to leave medical decisions to team physicians and athletic trainers when it comes to player availability. Players are encouraged to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-found-friction-between-181059570.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-03 18:10:59

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