Penn State Coach James Franklin opened his game week press conference on Tuesday by saying ‘the health and well-being of our student-athletes is of utmost importance to us,’ and reiterating a university statement rejecting claims by a former team doctor that Franklin tried to interfere with medical decisions.
Dr. Scott Lynch, a Penn State Hershey orthopedic surgeon who until March served as football team physician and director of athletic medicine, filed a lawsuit Friday in Dauphin County Court claiming he was relieved of his duties with the athletic department after reporting that Franklin attempted to influence and interfere with decisions about medically clearing players to return to action.
Franklin briefly addressed the claims Tuesday as he read a statement at the start of the press conference.
‘I think you all know yesterday Penn State health issued a statement rejecting Dr. Lynch’s claims,’ Franklin said. ‘We’ll continue to vigorously defend our program and all the participants in this matter. As always the health and well being of our student-athletes is of utmost importance to us. But after that we’ll have no further comment.’
Lynch, who has worked for Penn State Hershey Medical Center in 1997 and began his role with the team in 2013 lawsuit, claimed violations of the Pennsylvania whistleblower law and retaliation. Penn State, Franklin, Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, Senior Associate Athletic Director Charmelle Green, Chair of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Kevin Black, Penn State Health and Penn State Hershey Medical Center are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
‘On multiple and repeated occasions, … Franklin attempted to interfere with [Lynch’s] autonomous authority to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions related to student-athletes,’ the complaint states.
The 43-page complaint does not detail specific instances of Franklin’s alleged interference.
The Big Ten and NCAA have standards and policies preventing coaches from being involved with hiring medical personnel or exerting influence over medical and return-to-play decisions. Lynch claims that Franklin ‘created a culture and climate which, at a minimum, obstructed full compliance with,’ those rules.
Lynch says he reported his concerns to Barbour, Green and Black, his supervisor, and that in January Barbour and Green demanded Lynch be relieved of his athletic department duties. On Jan. 28, Black informed Lynch he was being removed from athletic department duties.
In March Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, who held the position prior to Lynch, once again become director of athletic medicine.
Lynch claimed that Penn State cited having a doctor located in State College instead of Hershey as the rationale for the change, but he alleges that was a ‘false narrative’ to cover for retaliation against Lynch for his ‘good-faith reporting.’
He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $50,000, a figure meant to place the claim outside of arbitration limits.
Penn State Health released the following statement in response to the lawsuit claims.
‘In February 2019, Penn State Health administrators decided to change leadership for athletic medicine and the delivery of care for Intercollegiate Athletics. This transition was completed with the best interests of student-athletes in mind, given the increasing complexity and growing demands of sports medicine, as well as health care in general. While we reject Dr. Lynch’s claims and will vigorously defend our program and its representatives, we remain grateful to him for his five years as director of athletic medicine for Intercollegiate Athletics and for his continued association with Penn State Health.’
