Landmark Case

District's Inquiry says, Coach didn't break rules.

Superintendent Sheldon Berman said he was "outraged" that Pleasure Ridge Park football players were told at a practice last August that they would have to continue running until one of them quit the team.

But releasing the findings of what he called the most extensive investigation in the history of Jefferson County Public Schools, Berman said Wednesday that neither then-head coach Jason Stinson nor his assistants violated state rules or district policy at the Aug. 20 practice where sophomore lineman Max Gilpin collapsed from heat exhaustion and later died. Berman also said the district investigation, which included interviews with 125 witnesses, "clearly indicated that Max Gilpin did not die as a result of any restriction in water breaks or denial of water."

Berman said he hopes the district's findings, which took 10 months to complete, will provide a better understanding of what happened Aug. 20. "Nothing will bring Max back," he said. "It deeply saddens all of us that one of our students passed away after collapsing on the practice field. This tragic event has heightened our awareness — as parents, teachers, coaches, athletic directors and administrators — of the need to constantly seek ways to improve safety for our student athletes."

But the report outraged Max's parents, Jeff Gilpin and Michele Crockett, who said they felt it "only presented information that made (the district) look good."

Attorney David Stengel, whose office is scheduled to try Stinson Aug. 31 on a charge of reckless homicide, declined to comment on whether the district report would undercut the criminal case. "We'll do our talking in court," Stengel said. The district's findings — that Max and his fellow players got plenty of water —contradicts the conclusions of Stengel's office, which alleges that Stinson repeatedly denied players water and forced them to run extra wind sprints as punishment for not practicing hard enough.

More to come on this. See January post on conditioning.