The parents of a former Rancho Bernardo High school baseball player have filed a lawsuit against the Poway Unified School District and its famed baseball program.
The suit claims the boy, who NBC 7 is not naming because he's a minor, suffered brain damage after being sucker-punched in the back of the head by a freshman coach in July 2014.
The suit claims that the teenage baseball player was struck in the back of the head while performing pushups.
The pushups were ordered by the coaches as an attempt to force the teammates to reveal who had written unflattering comments about the coaching staff in the helmet storage area used by the team, according to court documents.
In November 2016, the teenager was diagnosed by a physician who believes the injury from the punch led to eyesight impairments.
The district said it has not yet seen the lawsuit, but it also cannot comment on pending litigation.
Attorneys included a letter from the district dated April 2017 in which the district denied a claim filed by the student's parents because it was not presented within six months of the incident as required by law.
