OKEMOS, Mich — The family of a high school wrestler is suing Okemos Public Schools and its wrestling coach, claiming negligence after the female athlete suffered severe injuries during practice.
WATCH: OKEMOS SCHOOLS, HS WRESTLING COACH FACE LAWSUIT AFTER FEMALE WRESTLER'S SEVERE INJURY
The lawsuit accuses the coach of forcing a 94lb female wrestler to spar with a male wrestler above her weight class, resulting in what attorneys describe as life-threatening injuries.
"She was thrown into the ring with someone who was bigger, faster, stronger, more experienced and was told if you want to participate, this is who you're going to participate with," said Jamie White, the plaintiff's attorney.
Court documents allege the incident occurred during practice in December when the girl didn't have a partner in her weight class to spar with. The coach allegedly told her to practice with two male wrestlers instead.
The lawsuit claims the girl was slammed by one wrestler at least three times before being taken to a trauma center, where doctors discovered severe bleeding in her liver.
"She almost died. She only had medical intervention because another student realized that she was in severe medical distress," White said.
The lawsuit, filed in Ingham County, comes eight months after the alleged events. White said attempts to resolve the issue with the district during that time failed.
"They've said she assumed the risk. I can't go into detail about what happened during the course of that mediation except that it was a complete waste of time and it incredibly offensive to my client and her family," White said.
"My phone is lighting up. Okemos School District has problems," White said.
Attorneys for the district couldn't be reached for comment. An attorney for the wrestling coach declined to comment.
The defendants have 21 days to respond to the allegations according to the complaint.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
