Disturbing new details emerge after coaches ‘forced kids to do 400 push-ups’ sending eight to the hospital

High school football coaches who forced players to do 400 push-ups in hellish practices that injured 26 students and sent eight to the hospital are facing charges.

Rockwall-Heath head coach John Harrell and 12 of his assistants are accused of ordering more and more drills to punish students for minor infractions.

Valencia Smith, whose son was hospitalized after the practices in January 2023, filed the $250,000 lawsuit in the 439th State District Court of Texas.

The 26 players developed rhabdomyolysis: the breakdown of muscle tissue that can release harmful proteins into the bloodstream, causing kidney damage or kidney failure.

Harrell was placed on administrative leave after the training and resigned in March 2023 following an investigation by outside law firm Adams, Lynch and Loftin.

The report, commissioned by the Rockwall Independent School District and often referenced in the lawsuit, shows that Harrell went against athletic director Russ Reeves’ guidelines not to use exercise as punishment.

Reeves warned that this “could lead to major legal problems and consequences.”

The 26 players developed rhabdomyolysis – the breakdown of muscle tissue that can release harmful proteins into the bloodstream, causing kidney damage or failure

Parents said at the time that even the smallest mistakes required players to do more than a dozen extra push-ups.

This includes wearing the wrong clothes, being late, making a mistake in practice, having a negative attitude and not showing enough ‘busyness’ and effort.

The lawsuit alleged that Harrell and his assistants failed to monitor the health of their players, which led to their injuries.

Players, it claimed, were afraid to come forward because of a ‘whispering campaign’ and the injured students had their ‘masculinity’ mocked online by locals.

Messages between coaches recovered by the report accused the players of causing their injuries by abusing nutritional supplements – despite there being no medical basis for the claim.

Other messages revealed organized efforts to undermine the students and their parents and prevent them from receiving help and treatment, the report said.

The report found that the entire team was often forced to do extra push-ups after a teammate made a mistake, rather than just that one student.

Parents said at the time that even the smallest mistakes required players to do more than a dozen extra push-ups

Many of the players experienced swelling and dark-colored urine after training, symptoms consistent with rhabdomyolysis

Water was available to drink, but few players drank it during training because they knew it would make them look weak, the report found.

According to the report, Harrell allegedly knew that being forced to “exercise excessively without water or rest would lead to injuries.”

It did not charge Harrell with intentionally causing injury, but found he recklessly endangered the health of his athletes and violated the Educators Code of Ethics.

None of the students were responsible for their injuries, the report found.

Smith’s lawsuit alleged that her son was among those taken to the hospital, and that he was still receiving treatments for the condition nearly two years later.

Her son was at the Jan. 6, 2023, practice and afterward many of the players had swelling and dark-colored urine, symptoms consistent with rhabdomyolysis.

The lawsuit alleged that Smith’s attorneys had spent almost the entire two-year statute of limitations negotiating a settlement and were left with no choice but to file a lawsuit.

Harrell insisted the punishments were handed out by his assistants, not him, while he was inside the weight room

Last year, two lawsuits were settled by other parents for undisclosed amounts, but attorneys said the Harrells’ insurance company refused to pay this time, prompting the lawsuit.

Harrell insisted the punishments were administered by his assistants, not him, while he was inside the weight room.

“Rather than resolve the matter, Plaintiff has included as defendants all of the coaches, some of whom were not even present at the practice in question,” said Meredith Walker, Harrell’s attorney.

“Mr. Harrell views this as nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the liability limits in the Texas Education Code.”

Walker alleged that Harrell was covered by laws that gave school employees immunity for actions consistent with their duties.

However, these protections do not apply if staff use excessive force when disciplining students or negligence results in student injury.

Smith said his son’s medical bills exceeded $250,000.

the other coaches named in the lawsuit were Chadrick President, Lucas Lucero, Joshua Rohmer, Seth McBride, Cody Monson, Chance Casey, Jake Rogers, Joseph Haag, Brody Trahan, Garret Campfield, Alex Contreras and Jordan Wallace.