Ex-Penn State football doc alleges James Franklin interfered with medical decisions
A former Penn State football team doctor has alleged that head coach James Franklin tried to interfere with medical decisions involving players on the team, according to testimony obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dr. Pete Seidenberg, the primary doctor for the Nittany Lions football team in 2014, claimed during a civil trial against Franklin and the school that he was compelled by Franklin and athletic director Sandy Barbour to medically disqualify a player who tried to kill himself in order to free up a scholarship.
"I perceived that as his attempt to influence medical decisions," Seidenberg said, noting that a disqualification would have meant the player would lose his scholarship and Franklin could offer it to another player.
The lawsuit was filed by Dr. Scott Lynch, Penn State's former director of athletic medicine, who claims that his not wanting to go along with Franklin's alleged wishes played a role in his termination from the school in 2019.
Seidenberg said he and Lynch refused to give into the alleged pressure from Franklin and Barbour, and claimed there were other instances in which he thought Franklin overstepped his bounds and tried to get his way involving other medical decisions.
Lynch says he reported Franklin's alleged interference to the athletic department and Penn State Health. The defense argues there is no evidence Lynch tailored his treatment of football players under pressure from the head coach.
Seidenberg is no longer with Penn State and practices medicine in another state.
Franklin has been the head football coach at Penn State since 2014. He is 88-39 overall and 56-32 in Big Ten competition.
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.