Report: James Franklin accused of interfering with medical decisions on players from team doctors

Former Penn State physician Dr. Pete Seidenberg alleged football head coach James Franklin interfered with medical decisions of team doctors and trainers.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Luciew, Franklin allegedly overstepped his bounds. Seidenberg detailed a situation when Franklin and then-Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour wanted a player who attempted suicide to be medically disqualified from the team while he was receiving treatment in short-term psychiatric care.

That was just one example and it seemed to be alarming. If that player was medically disqualified, it would’ve caused him to lose his scholarship.

With that, Franklin could offer that spot to another player during the offseason.

Seidenberg served as the primary care team physician during the early portion of Franklin’s tenure and spoke during the ongoing trial in a lawsuit filed by Dr. Scott Lynch. Lynch was Penn State’s director of athletic medicine and orthopedic consultant to the football team before being fired in March of 2019.

According to Luciew, Seidenberg detailed “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.”

Once observing Franklin’s alleged behavior, Seidenberg “perceived that as his attempt to influence medical decisions.”

To go along with Seidenberg’s accusations, Lynch alleged in the lawsuit he was fired five years ago because he refused to “allow a coach to interfere with his medical treatment and return-to-play decisions.”

Franklin was just the latest turn in a wild early week for the case against Penn State.

Lynch’s lawyers reportedly argued Tuesday that Nike could find the school for “unauthorized spatting,” which is ankle taping, that covers the brand’s logo on the player’s shoes. It could be viewed as a breach of contract for restricting logo placement.

The defense reportedly countered with photos of former Penn State stars Christian Hackenberg and Saquon Barkley showing their taped ankles with the Nike logo still visible on their shoes.

Lynch is was the 1984 NCAA champion in wrestling for Penn State and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the lawsuit. How the latest turn and allegations from Seindenberg concerning Franklin is a to-be-determined outcome.

At the time of this report, Franklin had yet to comment on the allegations.