Devastated parents sue Bucknell after sons preventable death from football workout

The parents of a Bucknell University football player, who died after collapsing during his first practice last summer, have filed a civil lawsuit against the Pennsylvania school, alleging wrongful death.Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., an 18-year-old freshman, died on July 12, 2024, two days after he collapsed and was hospitalized due to complications from rhabdomyolysis and a sickle-cell crisis based on independent autopsy findings.CJ’s parents state in the lawsuit that their son’s death was “avoidable” and “preventable,” as Bucknell University was aware that CJ carried a sickle-cell trait during NCAA-mandated screenings, which was reported to the university before reporting to camp.The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia on April 2, states that while at the hospital, CJ told his parents, Nicole and Calvin Dickey Sr., that some of the freshmen had “messed up” on some drills, and as punishment, the coach made them perform “up-downs” — an exercise also known as “burpees” — where an individual must jump to the ground face down and then bring their body back up to a vertical position over and over.The lawsuit states that Bucknell “failed to take the steps necessary” to ensure precautions were in place to prevent CJ’s tragic death, which was described as “horrific and painful.”“Eight months later, Bucknell refuses to acknowledge it caused CJ’s death, to apologize, or to institute processes and procedures to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again,” the lawsuit states.“Focusing on donor relations and athlete recruitment instead of athlete safety, Bucknell has sought only to keep secret the events that led to CJ’s death.”The lawsuit added, “Bucknell is doing everything it can to hide the truth from not only Calvin Sr.

andNicole, but from the entire world.”Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that causes your muscles to break down, or disintegrate, which leads to muscle death, per the Cleveland Clinic.The risk of developing...