Penn State’s former team doctor claimed in a new lawsuit that coach James Franklin pressured him to clear injured players who weren’t ready to play.
Dr. Scott A. Lynch filed a lawsuit against Franklin and the university claiming that the coach tried to sway treatment and clearance decisions “on multiple and repeated occasions,” according to Matt Miller of Penn Live. No specific examples were cited in the suit.
Lynch was removed from his position as Orthopedic Physician in March. He claims this took place because of his frequent complaints to university officials about Franklin’s interference, and that his rights as a whistleblower were violated by Penn State. He is seeking over $50,000 in damages.
In a statement, Penn State Health denied the allegations, stating that Lynch’s removal was an effort to keep up with “the increasing complexity and growing demands of sports medicine, as well as health care in general.”
Franklin has not issued a response to the suit. He’s 45-21 as the head coach of the Nittany Lions, though there were some strange moments toward the end of 2018 where he didn’t seem completely committed to the university.
