Former Penn State physician Dr. Pete Seidenberg has made some concerning allegations regarding head coach James Franklin.
Franklin has been accused of interfering with the decisions of medical professionals and trainers to the potential detriment of players and the program.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Luciew reports that the head coach allegedly overstepped his bounds as head coach to try to influence various decisions made by the school’s medical staff.
One such example was when Franklin and former Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour wanted to have a player who attempted suicide medically disqualified from the team while he was receiving psychiatric care.
A player who is medically disqualified would lose his scholarship, but Franklin would have been able to offer his spot to another player during the offseason.
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Seidenberg was the primary care team doctor during James Franklin’s early tenure in charge of the Nittany Lions. He spoke during the trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by Dr. Scott Lynch, who was the school’s director of athletic medicine and orthopedic consultant before he was fired in 2019.
According to the report from Luciew, Seidenberg alleged, “numerous meetings in which he said Franklin pressured him, Lynch, and the chief athletic trainer to alter their medical decisions and the treatment advice and options given to players.”
He adds that Seidenberg “perceived that as his attempt to influence medical decisions” once he noticed Franklin’s behavior.
Lynch has also claimed he was fired because he would not “allow a coach to interfere with his medical treatment and return-to-play decisions.”
James Franklin And Penn State Could Face Some More Controversy Soon
The claims from Seidenberg and Lynch aren’t all James Franklin has had to field this week.
According to Lynch’s attorneys, sportswear giant Nike could sue Penn State for taping players’ ankles in a manner that covers the brand’s logo on their shoes.
This could be considered a breach of contract for restricting logo placement. However, the defense team pushed back on the claim by showing photos of former players Saquon Barkley and Christian Hackenberg showing off taped ankles with the swoosh signage still visible on their shoes.
