ROCKWALL, Texas – A lawsuit has been filed against former Rockwall-Heath High School football coach John Harrell and a dozen assistant coaches, alleging that their demanding workouts left one student hospitalized with serious injuries. The lawsuit claims that the students were forced to complete nearly 400 push-ups in one hour without rest or water breaks as punishment.
Mike Sawicki, the attorney representing the mother of the injured student, said Coach Harrell designed the workout program. He claims that the punishment was imposed for minor infractions, regardless of the reason.
According to the legal complaint, the intense physical exertion led to at least 26 players being diagnosed or showing symptoms of rhabdomyolysis—a condition caused by muscle tissue breakdown, which can lead to kidney failure and muscle damage if left untreated.
“This is a real and dangerous risk,” Sawicki explained. “It’s not a minor injury or fatigue. This condition can have lasting, life-threatening effects.”
The mother who filed the lawsuit claims her son spent seven days in the hospital recovering from the workout. Sawicki emphasized that the severity of the injuries goes beyond typical physical exhaustion.
“These are long-term injuries that can’t just be brushed off,” he said.
Following the incident in January 2023, Rockwall ISD placed Coach Harrell on administrative leave. Harrell resigned two months later, but no criminal charges were filed.
Sawicki previously settled two other lawsuits involving Coach Harrell, filed by parents whose children also participated in the workouts. However, the current lawsuit is the first to target the assistant coaches as well. Sawicki argues that the assistants played a significant role in the punishment and may not have fully understood the risks involved.
“I don’t think they grasped the seriousness of what was happening,” Sawicki said. “They either didn’t ask the right questions or ignored the warning signs.”
The lawsuit also claims that the district’s athletic director had previously warned coaches not to use physical exercise as a form of punishment, noting that it could lead to “major legal issues and consequences.”
An investigation by the law firm hired to look into the incident found that the students’ injuries were directly caused by the harmful workout regimen.
Sawicki pointed out that the intent behind the workouts was allegedly to instill discipline, but the consequences were far more severe than the coaches had anticipated.
The lawsuit alleges that there are more than 26 victims, but some students are too afraid to come forward.
