Why It’s Important to Monitor Teachers and Coaches

Student-athletes have a lot on their plates. They are juggling their academic careers, sports practices, personal lives, and – for many of them – part-time jobs. Sometimes, especially in unsafe conditions, student athletes can suffer serious and even fatal injuries while on the field. Many serious injuries and illnesses happen during practices, not games. Such was the case for 19-year-old football player Jordan McNair, who passed away due to heatstroke after a conditioning workout for the University of Maryland.

In other cases, students suffer abuse and harassment at the hands of negligent and criminal teachers and coaches. Students often do not realize when they feel overworked, overstressed, or overheated. They may be afraid to step forward when they believe a person in a position of power has overstepped a personal boundary. It is important to always monitor sports coaches, teachers, and supervisors closely, to prevent tragedies. For more information on the legal rights of students and athletes, contact our Baltimore athlete representation attorneys today.

Teacher / Coach Negligence and Abuse

It is a sad reality that people in positions of power – including trusted coaches, mentors, and teachers – may take advantage of their status to neglect, abuse, or intentionally inflict harm on their pupils. It is a power-related crime that has taken place for centuries. One of the most vulnerable populations, children, are the most at risk of experiencing coach and teacher negligence. Small children and young adults may suffer serious injuries, illnesses, abuse, harassment, or even wrongful death due to supervisor breaches of duty.

A “breach of duty” (also called negligence) can refer to any action or failure to act that falls outside of the offending party’s duties of care to the victim. Negligence can be accidental, such as failing to notice signs of a student athlete suffering heat exhaustion. Intentional acts of harm, on the other hand, describe crimes the offender knows are wrong or against the law, yet performs anyway, such as sexual abuse. Both are wrongdoings that can cause serious student harm and result in lawsuits in Baltimore.

The best way to treat coach or teacher negligence and misconduct is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Stay involved by checking in with the establishment and your child regularly. Engage in open communication with your child, making sure he or she knows it’s okay to report anything amiss. Also, constantly monitor people in positions of power around children.

Preventing Atrocities to Student-Athletes

The wrongful death of Baltimore footballer Jordan McNair and the heinous sex crimes that Olympic doctor Larry Nassar committed against at least 156 women are sadly not isolated incidents. They are a grim reminder that people in positions of power – even prominent and respected physicians – may take advantage of young men and women in a variety of ways, either to win a championship or for perverse personal gain. Monitor teachers and coaches, as well as look for signs of neglect or abuse, such as:

• Behavioral changes or mood swings
• Anxiety or depression
• Feelings of guilt or shame
• Unwillingness to participate in a favorite sport or activity
• Reluctance or fear in seeing a coach or teacher
• Substance abuse
• Signs of heatstroke, such as dizziness, nausea, and loss of consciousness
• Symptoms of head or brain injuries
• Lack of emergency preparedness
• Unsafe school grounds or sports fields
• Lack of proper athlete protective equipment
• Incompetent or poorly-trained coaches and teachers

Always take allegations of neglect or abuse seriously. Notify the authorities and request an investigation of the situation as soon as something wrong is suspected. The sooner wrongdoing is detected, the sooner other such incidents can be prevented.