Parents at Rockwall-Heath High School are upset and shocked as they say their kids are being unjustly bullied and targeted by other high school students who support Head Football Coach John Harrell.
The coach allegedly forced the student-athletes to perform nearly 400 pushups in less than an hour during a January 6 workout, resulting in several team members being hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis, or Rhabdo, is the breakdown of damaged muscle, which results in the release of muscle cell contents into the blood, according to the CDC. The release of proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream can cause organ damage.
Dr. Osehotue Okojie, the parent of one of the students who was hospitalized and diagnosed with the condition, said it all could have been avoided.
Okojie told The Dallas Express that her son had already been hurt and wasn’t cleared to do any of the exercises.
“In my son’s specific case, he wasn’t even supposed to be doing any of that; he had a fracture in the last game on his right hand, wrist,” Okojie told The Dallas Express. “He just got out of the cast December 8; he wasn’t cleared to do any of those exercises.”
When asked if the coaches knew of the injury to her son, Okojie told The Dallas Express that they ignored it.
Okojie said a letter was submitted to the school when her son returned to the school after an orthopedic appointment. She said they did the right thing and submitted the note to the office as required.
“My kid has never been in the hospital his entire life, and here he is. He has spent a week in the hospital unable to move his arms, severe swelling, severe pain,” Okojie said. “Rhabdomyolysis is a serious condition.”
Okojie told The Dallas Express that her son had to have a cardiac evaluation due to chest pains.
Maria Avila’s son was also diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and is at home recovering after being hospitalized for four days.
“I feel very bothered and frustrated about what happened,” Avila told The Dallas Express.
Avila’s daughter Diana spoke to The Dallas Express about the alleged bullying her brother is receiving.
“Since they put that coach on leave, [my brother] has been getting harassing messages via social media,” Diana Avila said. She believes her brother is afraid of retaliation if he comes forward with evidence.
“I asked him, ‘can you give me the names [so] we could admit it?’ But I think for fear of retaliation and things being worse for him, he said no, he’ll handle it. But it’s just frustrating because he was in the hospital fighting rhabdomyolysis, and his blood pressure is going up because of this,” said Diana.
“Instead of focusing on being able to get better, he’s having to deal with the backlash,” she added.
Diana said when they took her brother to the hospital, doctors confirmed he had rhabdomyolysis. While his kidneys were confirmed to be okay, her brother now has an enlarged liver and must see a specialist next month.
“I’m angry. He shouldn’t be having to worry about this. He loves football; it’s his life, his passion, and when he came home in pain and was scared and in the hospital … It’s frustrating, and I’m praying he gets a full recovery and that this does not affect him for the rest of his life,” said Diana.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS) is investigating the off-season football workout that led to the hospitalization of the athletes.
Coach John Harrell remains on administrative leave until the completion of a third-party investigation by local law firm Adams, Lynch, & Loftin, P.C., a spokesperson with Rockwall ISD told WFAA Dallas.
Very sad That’s Rockwall for you the same things are happening in the police department harassing black men and putting them in jail they set them up