# Texas charter school students forced to do pushups; some may have permanent health issues as a result **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351 "2026-04-18T01:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/1 "2026-04-18T01:31:33Z")
This source does not say how old the 80 or so students were, but I get the impression they were at least mostly male, and probably teenagers. They were forced to do hundreds of them, in some cases on 3 successive days, and many temporarily lost the use of their arms and some were even hospitalized with kidney failure, which can result from a combination of dehydration and muscle damage. Where does anyone get the idea that doing this to kids is a good idea, anyway? This was in San Angelo, TX. > **[Nearly 80 students forced into 400+ push-ups at school, many diagnosed with...](https://www.kwqc.com/2026/04/17/nearly-80-students-forced-into-400-push-ups-school-many-diagnosed-with-permanent-kidney-damage-lawsuit-says/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRPuCJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE0NWpIak5ZeDNZaVFJQ3plc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmH_Ax96eLPPdr47MdXYwLo8aTtW_Ze2fJf1HxPf3C5jh1gA2veFW9Chnxta_aem_E6sq_o7QT8_QVGLcG1Gknw)** > > A dozen families in Texas filed a lawsuit against a charter school after nearly 20 students suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in February. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/2 "2026-04-18T02:07:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Where does anyone get the idea that doing this to kids is a good idea, anyway? That football coach is in the wrong century. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/3 "2026-04-18T02:52:48Z")
My dance instructor allowed no tears or complaints. Screamed every day. I was on a senior elite team about to go audition for a dance scholarship when I quit thinking of her as a tyrant. I get still get a twinge if I hear something that reminds me. This reminded me. Of course the school is culpable. The coaches should be arrested as soon as they’re found. That’s a bunch of counts of criminal child abuse. OTOH…why didn’t the parent notice the kid at dinner that first night and ask “what’s your trouble son?” I would have noticed. At least some of the 150 or so parents surely noticed. What’s that story? Was this Charter school a college prep or athletics focused school? Difficult to get in and stay in, I’ll grant. Still I hope the parents succeed in winning the lawsuit. This kinda bullshit needs to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/4 "2026-04-18T03:00:32Z")
> The pretext for this mass punishment? “A jersey mix-up,” the lawsuit claims. “Two students had been assigned the same jersey number—an error caused by the coaches themselves. Rather than correct their own mistake, the coaches decided to punish eighty children for it. This was not discipline. This was not training. This was collective torture inflicted on children by adults who operated without oversight, without accountability, and without a shred of human decency.” > **[San Angelo charter school sued over school discipline that forced 20 student...](https://www.kwtx.com/2026/04/13/san-angelo-charter-school-sued-over-school-discipline-that-forced-20-student-hospitalizations/)** > > A dozen families have filed a lawsuit against a San Angelo charter school after the mass hospitalization of student athletes who reportedly suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in February during what the lawsuit alleges was a “brutal and... The athletic director and head football appear to have been fired pretty quickly: > **[Allegations of ‘Torture’ Have Been Made Against a Texas High School Football...](https://www.si.com/high-school/texas/allegations-of-torture-have-been-made-against-a-texas-high-school-football-program-01kp8p5a8419)** > > The mystery surrounding the sudden departure, on March 13, 2026, of Texas Leadership Charter Academy (TLCA-San Angelo) athletic director Kent Sherrill, who also ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/5 "2026-04-18T04:34:50Z")
Yeah, a kid comes home from school and can’t feed or dress themselves? One wonders if things like this had been done to them before, although not to these extremes. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/6 "2026-04-18T06:14:06Z")
I must say, I normally have a small amount of concern, that when a public school is sued, they money may at some level come out of the pockets of the teachers or education, if in nothing else increased insurance, legal expenses, and image remediation. When it comes to Charter Schools, _especially_ TEXAS charter schools… I find no such issues impinging my conscience. A personal failing, I’m sure… 😈 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/7 "2026-04-18T07:10:44Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Where does anyone get the idea that doing this to kids is a good idea, anyway? A lot of people over the years have pushed ideas like “tough love” and “suffering and adversity makes you stronger”, which can _easily_ hurt or kill people . Especially kids, who are in no position to fight back or escape. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/8 "2026-04-18T07:55:30Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A lot of people over the years have pushed ideas like “tough love” Unfortunately, far too many have taken the easy but misguided shortcut that “tough love” means “being tough _is_ love”. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/9 "2026-04-18T08:28:07Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A lot of people These aren’t people, these are football coaches. _Texas_ football coaches. They never gave a thought about kids lifting their arms because their knuckles always drag across the ground in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![f.coli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@f.coli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/f.coli)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/10 "2026-04-18T13:45:29Z")
“Drop and give me twenty” is a stereotypical command uttered by a drill sergeant to the recruits he is training. But if a sergeant did anything like _this_ to a private, I’d bet that he would be court-martialed. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/11 "2026-04-18T14:00:28Z")
Who could have guessed that this guy wasn’t suited to teach children? [![](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_72,y_26,w_474,h_266/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2Fhigh_school%2F01kp8pj0xgmcdsefyjng.jpg) ](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_72,y_26,w_474,h_266/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2Fhigh_school%2F01kp8pj0xgmcdsefyjng.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/12 "2026-04-18T14:14:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Where does anyone get the idea that doing this to kids is a good idea, anyway? Haven’t you heard? Everything wrong with your child can be fixed by treating them like they are in boot camp. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/13 "2026-04-18T14:17:10Z")
My Daddy was a Marine DI for many years. He could do a great imitation of Sgt.Carter(?) from Gomer Pyle, USMC. Screaming, red faced. Really though he told me the DI growl and popping off orders was their only weapon. By the time he was a DI no physical corporal punishment was done. (I wasn’t there, but I am sure some happened). He would be appalled at these coaches. I don’t remember him coddling my brother’s in their highschool athletic aspirations. I think a certain amount of pain would be expected. Oh, and about Texas and Friday night football. Yep. Katie bar the door. They are ridiculous about it. Now it seems they’re criminal about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/14 "2026-04-18T14:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The students’ hospital stays ranged from two to seven days, with multiple patients being referred to specialists for “permanent kidney damage,” the suit alleges. > > “Your administration labeled these children as ‘soft,’ but in reality, you nearly killed them,” Johnson said. ”Every August, thousands of student athletes across Texas participate in grueling two-a-day football programs in 100-degree heat—and none of them end up hospitalized with organ failure. Actually, rhabdomyolysis and potential kidney damage are a known consequence of excessive physical activity (notably, pushups) on the high school level in Texas, though [it’s happened elsewhere too](https://scuhealth.org/what-is-rhabdomyolysis-and-why-should-young-athletes-care/). > **[Rhabdomyolysis Makes the News in Texas Once Again! | The Cooper Institute](https://www.cooperinstitute.org/blog/rhabdomyolysis-makes-the-news-in-texas-once-again)** > > It would be difficult to find a sane and rational person who disagreed with the statement that regular exercise is good for you, and that more is better within reasonable limits. For the beginner exerciser however, or for those who are unaccustomed... [https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/north-texas-family-sues-north-texas-cheerleading-coaches-student-hospitalized-rhabdo/287-6ab6cfd1-12b2-483e-acf5-c61591386d3e](https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/north-texas-family-sues-north-texas-cheerleading-coaches-student-hospitalized-rhabdo/287-6ab6cfd1-12b2-483e-acf5-c61591386d3e) Just as cruelly stupid is denying kids/athletes water breaks to punsh or “toughen them up”. Dehydration can lead to serious consequences or death, but some numbnuts coaches still haven’t learned that lesson. Case in point: the new head coach of the University of Kentucky football team, Will Stein, was in the news recently for running drills that, unlike in the past, don’t include water breaks. Stupid, stupid, stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/15 "2026-04-18T14:37:48Z")
We read sometimes of ancient religions that practiced human sacrifice of children, and wonder how anyone could have done that. And yet, even today, the dominant religion in many parts of this country is based on child sacrifice. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/16 "2026-04-18T14:41:12Z")
There’s some people out there that have a really twisted sense of what “survival of the fittest” means. To them, if upon imposing hardship someone dies or is crippled then all the better, it means the survivors who could stand the brutality are the “superior” breed who deserve to get ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/17 "2026-04-18T15:01:50Z")
> “Because of the pending litigation, as well as HIPAA, FERPA, and employment law considerations, we are unable to comment on the specifics of the allegations. I am curious how they could claim HIPAA protections to sharing information. FERPA makes more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/18 "2026-04-18T15:04:34Z")
They can’t share information on what medical conditions the students have. Even if they’re the ones that caused those conditions. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/19 "2026-04-18T15:19:26Z")
They aren’t medical professionals. FERPA is what limits them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351/20 "2026-04-18T15:24:57Z")
Hm, I had thought that HIPAA applied to anyone who learned medical information in the course of their job. Though of course FERPA applies, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-charter-school-students-forced-to-do-pushups-some-may-have-permanent-health-issues-as-a-result/1029351.md?page=2)