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08-17-2017, 12:04 AM
By: Cam Smith, USA TODAY High School Sports | August 15, 2017
A former baseball player at Los Altos (Calif.) High has filed a lawsuit against his former coach, claiming his repeated benching during his senior season was the equivalent of being bullied.
As reported by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 17-year-old Robbie Lopez has filed a lawsuit seeking a minimum of $150,000 from now-former baseball coach Gabriel Lopez on the grounds that his repeated benching constituted a pattern of bullying and harassment.
According to the lawsuit, Lopez was a three-year starter at Los Altos before his senior year falling out. The beginning of the farrago between the two Lopezes, who are not related, came when Robbie Lopezâs father, Robert Lopez II, complained that Lopez the coach had barred his son from action after the father complained about a perceived double standard between players who took part in a fundraiser baseball game and those who refused.
âFor over four (4) months and 14 games, (Robbie Lopez) has been benched and not the opportunity to show his offensive or defensive capabilities,â the suit states.
Michael Ponce, the lawyer representing Robbie Lopez and his parents, said the prolonged period of relegating him to the bench is âan abuse of the coachâs discretion.â
âItâs more of a targeted situationâ than a standard case of a coach using his own judgement, Michael Ponce, Robbie Lopezâs lawyer, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. âThese are repeated actions by the coach, which we feel, my client and I, as well as his father, feel are intentional. Theyâre targeted against (my client) specifically.â
Whether the younger Lopezâs case moves forward remains to be seen. The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has refused comment on the matter, but surely will be concerned about the result. If the elder Lopez is found guilty, Hacienda La Puente could be the first school district to officially harbor a bullying coach and have to pay a very real price.
http://usatodayhss.com/2017/former-calif...s-bullying
A former baseball player at Los Altos (Calif.) High has filed a lawsuit against his former coach, claiming his repeated benching during his senior season was the equivalent of being bullied.
As reported by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 17-year-old Robbie Lopez has filed a lawsuit seeking a minimum of $150,000 from now-former baseball coach Gabriel Lopez on the grounds that his repeated benching constituted a pattern of bullying and harassment.
According to the lawsuit, Lopez was a three-year starter at Los Altos before his senior year falling out. The beginning of the farrago between the two Lopezes, who are not related, came when Robbie Lopezâs father, Robert Lopez II, complained that Lopez the coach had barred his son from action after the father complained about a perceived double standard between players who took part in a fundraiser baseball game and those who refused.
âFor over four (4) months and 14 games, (Robbie Lopez) has been benched and not the opportunity to show his offensive or defensive capabilities,â the suit states.
Michael Ponce, the lawyer representing Robbie Lopez and his parents, said the prolonged period of relegating him to the bench is âan abuse of the coachâs discretion.â
âItâs more of a targeted situationâ than a standard case of a coach using his own judgement, Michael Ponce, Robbie Lopezâs lawyer, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. âThese are repeated actions by the coach, which we feel, my client and I, as well as his father, feel are intentional. Theyâre targeted against (my client) specifically.â
Whether the younger Lopezâs case moves forward remains to be seen. The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has refused comment on the matter, but surely will be concerned about the result. If the elder Lopez is found guilty, Hacienda La Puente could be the first school district to officially harbor a bullying coach and have to pay a very real price.
http://usatodayhss.com/2017/former-calif...s-bullying
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08-18-2017, 07:48 AM
If there are judges stupid enough to hear a case like this, then it will be the end of school sports.
You can't teach liberal. It's unfortunately a genetic disease
You can't teach liberal. It's unfortunately a genetic disease
08-19-2017, 07:24 AM
I will say this though. If the coach was benching the kid for no good reason then he deserves it in my opinion. If this kid wins it might make coaches think twice about benching a kid for childish reasons. The coach is supposed to be the adult and example for his kids to follow. If the story is true and the coach was benching the kid because of a dislike of his father then he should be fired and banned from coaching in my opinion. I think a coach can abuse their power just like anyone else who is supervising people under them.
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