An internal review by Penn State in 2019 found evidence of “friction” between football coach James Franklin and a now-former team doctor. However, it could not determine whether Franklin violated NCAA rules or Big Ten standards by interfering with medical decisions.
FILE - Penn State head coach James Franklin , center, runs out with his team before an NCAA college football game against Michigan State, Nov. 24, 2023, in Detroit. Penn State head coach James Franklin walks on the sidelines during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game against Mississippi, Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. These are the gates leading to the field at Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions college football team in State College , Pa., Aug. 9, 2012.
Penn State said in a statement to The Associated Press it was extremely disappointed in the jury’s ruling last week. The school said its medical decisions regarding the care of athletes and whether they can compete adhere to NCAA rules and Big Ten standards. “Protecting the health and welfare of our student-athletes is our single most important priority. Throughout James Franklin’s tenure, he has worked tirelessly to build a program focused on the well-being of student-athletes,” Penn State said.
Lynch’s attorneys argued the doctor was removed from his position as director of sports medicine at Penn State as retaliation for frequent conflicts with Franklin over the medical treatment of players. Lynch said the school attempted to hide Franklin’s involvement in his dismissal by saying he was replaced because he lived and practiced medicine in Hershey, which is about 100 miles southeast of the Penn State campus in State College.
The report also said there was “limited demonstrated evidence” that the removal of Lynch was made with a “retaliatory motive.” Lynch reported to Black in consultation with Penn State athletics, according to a contract between the school and hospital, the report said.NCAA bylaws require schools to support “the unchallengeable autonomous authority of the primary athletics health care providers” when it comes to treatments and “return-to-play decisions.
Lynch and another doctor told investigators for the report that Franklin would say “words to the effect, ‘that I’ve been doing this for 30 years and you’ve only being doing this four years.’”
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