Parents of a Texas high school cheerleader have filed a lawsuit against three former teachers, accusing them of negligence after their daughter was injured while being forced to complete an intense physical exercise as punishment.
Amanda Jones, Ryleigh Valladarez, and Kaley Stewart, all former staff at Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, are named in the lawsuit filed by Robert and Misty Hanvey. The Hanveys’ daughter is identified only as “E.H.” in the court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The lawsuit alleges that E.H. was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition that causes muscle tissue to break down, potentially leading to muscle death. According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis can also harm the kidneys and is often triggered by overexertion, trauma, medication, or underlying health issues. The condition can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention if symptoms appear.
According to the complaint, E.H. was forced to perform 50 modified burpees, which included push-ups, as punishment. This was despite having a doctor’s note excusing her from physical activity while recovering from strep throat. The lawsuit claims the teachers ignored the note and made her complete the exercises anyway.
A student witness reported that E.H. was visibly struggling during the workout, but Coach Jones insisted she finish. The witness said Jones pushed E.H. to continue despite her distress.
E.H., a junior and straight-A student planning to study nursing, reportedly went along with the punishment because she feared losing her place on the cheerleading squad. The lawsuit states the teachers had a history of using threats and intimidation to motivate students.
During the exercise, E.H. began feeling severe pain in her arms. The teachers advised her to take painkillers, but by the next day, she was unable to lift her arms and felt exhausted. Her mother had to assist her with basic tasks like dressing and eating.
When symptoms such as nosebleeds and blood in her urine appeared, her mother took her to a doctor. Tests showed her creatine kinase levels were 5,218—much higher than the normal average of 143—indicating muscle damage. These levels remained elevated even days after the exercise.
E.H. was taken to the emergency room, where she received IV treatments to protect her kidneys from damage.
The Hanveys brought their concerns to the school administration and requested coverage of their medical bills. After a six-month appeal process, the school board concluded there was insufficient evidence to support their claims, despite findings that teachers violated multiple district policies and evidence of E.H.’s distress. One trustee reportedly said paying the bills would be a “prohibited gift of public funds.”
Jones, Valladarez, and Stewart deny directly forcing E.H. to perform the burpees. They claim the students suggested the punishment themselves. Valladarez told investigators that she usually did not use such consequences, while Jones admitted E.H. should not have been made to work out that day.
The school district’s investigation reportedly found the teachers broke at least five district policies, and video evidence exists of the exercises taking place during class.
This lawsuit follows a similar case in 2024, when a former Rockwall-Heath football coach was sued for allegedly forcing players to do hundreds of push-ups. The district had previously hired a law firm to investigate claims that athletes were hospitalized due to rhabdomyolysis from such practices.
The former coach, John Harrell, resigned in March 2023 after being placed on administrative leave. No criminal charges were filed. Harrell’s attorney denied wrongdoing and said attempts were made to settle before the lawsuit was filed.
The Hanveys’ attorney, Michael Sawicki, told WFAA 8 ABC that they were “kinda shocked” this incident happened after the football coach’s case. He added, “If you’re going to do something and not learn from it, that means you’re going to keep making the same mistake.”
Attempts by PEOPLE to contact Rockwall Independent School District and the family’s attorney for comments were not returned at the time of publication.
