A Harrisburg jury has awarded a former PSU doctor over 5 million dollars, in punitive and compensatory damages, after he was fired in 2019 following a conflict with Penn State football coach James Franklin. Dr Scott Lynch served as the team’s orthopedic surgeon, and the director of athletic medicine since 2014. According to ESPN, Lynch sued Penn State’s Milton A. Hershey Medical Center, alleging he was removed from his position in retaliation for complaining about Franklin interfering with medical treatment and return-to-play decisions. ESPN reports that Lynch’s supervisors said he was being let go because the university wanted a physician who lived closer to State College. At the time, Lynch was commuting from his home in Hershey. Penn State Health issued the following statement. “We are extremely disappointed to learn of the jury’s decision, as we continue to believe that the claims in the complaint have no merit. Penn State Health will soon determine whether it will appeal the decision.”
