Lawsuit: Central HS football coach forced player to walk 1/2 mile in his underwear

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Lawsuit claims Central H.S. football player was forced to walk half-mile in underwear | WDRB

The lawsuit, brought against JCPS and various Central High School administrators & staff including football HC Marvin Dantzler, AD Ryan Bringhurst and principal Raymond Green, claims that Central head football coach Marvin Dantzler instructed an assistant coach to remove a 16 year old football player away from warm-ups on August 24th. The player went back to the locker room as instructed, and then returned to the field and asked Coach Dantzler if he could talk. Coach Dantzler refused any discussion, and when the player continued to question the coach, Dantzler responded by telling the player that he didn't have to explain anything, and instructed the player to take off all of his equipment, call his parents, and have them take him home.

 

The student then removed his equipment as instructed by Coach Dantzler, which left him in an undershirt and underwear, and walked back to the locker room, a distance of approximately a half-mile.

 

The lawsuit is asking for unspecified damages.

[Hatz]

Saw this too. Wow! :ohbrother:

[BBN87]

I am not quite sure what to make of this. Being dismissed from practice for misconduct (which we aren't sure what the player did or is accused of) is one thing, but letting a teenager walk half naked in downtown Louisville.... nope.

[Randy Parker]

If true, Coach ought to be shown the door yesterday.

[TheDeuce]

Nothing in that suggests to me that the coach made him take his equipment off on the field.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Nothing in that suggests to me that the coach made him take his equipment off on the field.

 

That was my thought after I read through that a couple of times. I'd be curious to see if there's any more specific language in the complaint regarding what conversation or even what gestures took place between Dantzler and the player during the discussion about taking off the equipment.

 

I'm sure that will turn into a point of argument when this gets to the courtroom.

[Jumper_Dad]

Nothing in that suggests to me that the coach made him take his equipment off on the field.

 

Coach could/should have stopped him, if he didn't mean for him to take the equipment off on the spot, as soon as he started to pull his pants down.

[TheDeuce]

Coach could/should have stopped him, if he didn't mean for him to take the equipment off on the spot, as soon as he started to pull his pants down.

 

He could have, but that doesn't mean he forced him to do it...

 

Forcing a kid to strip to his underwear and allowing him to do so are two totally different stories.

[TheDeuce]

That was my thought after I read through that a couple of times. I'd be curious to see if there's any more specific language in the complaint regarding what conversation or even what gestures took place between Dantzler and the player during the discussion about taking off the equipment.

 

I'm sure that will turn into a point of argument when this gets to the courtroom.

 

If they can't prove he forced him to do it on the field, there's no case. Short of the coach physically taking the equipment off of him, I think any decent lawyer could beat that.

[UKMustangFan]

I'm not seeing much in there that warrants a lawsuit. :idunno:

[Jumper_Dad]

He could have, but that doesn't mean he forced him to do it...

 

Forcing a kid to strip to his underwear and allowing him to do so are two totally different stories.

 

It will be interesting to see how this comes out and what the facts are. After watching the 30 for 30 on Bobby Knight and see how college-age players were afraid to question the coach or even tell the truth when asked specific questions about him...no doubt a 16 year old kid could have felt intimidated enough to take the equipment off on his own. The coach wouldn't have to strip it off of him personally to be at fault.

 

Hopefully the truth comes out and either the coach is booted or the player and family are called out for creating a false narrative here because the kid was a disgruntled player.

[TheDeuce]

It will be interesting to see how this comes out and what the facts are. After watching the 30 for 30 on Bobby Knight and see how college-age players were afraid to question the coach or even tell the truth when asked specific questions about him...no doubt a 16 year old kid could have felt intimidated enough to take the equipment off on his own. The coach wouldn't have to strip it off of him personally to be at fault.

 

Hopefully the truth comes out and either the coach is booted or the player and family are called out for creating a false narrative here because the kid was a disgruntled player.

 

I think it's going to be very tough to prove that coach was at fault enough to warrant a lawsuit.

[Jumper_Dad]

I think it's going to be very tough to prove that coach was at fault enough to warrant a lawsuit.

 

Even if they can't prove that he forced him to strip on the spot, the coach was the Adult in the situation and shouldn't have let it go that far.

 

Hardest thing will be getting a current player or coach to testify against the coach if he indeed tell the kid to strip on the spot.

 

Bad thing for the coach is that it will be hard to prove that he didn't do it either.

[All State Baseball]

One thing that's odd, why wait until the season is over for this to come out? This happened at the end of August. We're now in December. Almost 3 months ago.

 

Two things; It's either true or the parents are needing some extra money.

 

I don't see how the player can have physical evidence other than telling his parents what the coach done. Wouldn't the coach have the entire team on his side?

[Jumper_Dad]

One thing that's odd, why wait until the season is over for this to come out? This happened at the end of August. We're now in December. Almost 3 months ago.

 

Two things; It's either true or the parents are needing some extra money.

 

I don't see how the player can have physical evidence other than telling his parents what the coach done. Wouldn't the coach have the entire team on his side?

 

Entire team said Bob Knight never choked Neil Reid too...until years later.