Warren co. in national news again

[pioneerfootballer]

Coach sued for $20 million over thrown helmet

McMINNVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The mother of a former Warren County High School football player hit in the head last year by a helmet thrown by head coach Gerald Tidwell is suing him for $20 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

The suit was filed in Shelbyville, Tenn., where on Aug. 30, 2002, junior fullback Mario Pezzimenti was inadvertently struck in the head by a helmet thrown by Tidwell during a heated halftime speech. Pezzimenti required 10 stitches to the left side of his head.

 

Tidwell was charged with assault and received pretrial diversion. He was required to spend 11 months, 29 days on probation, fined $500 and ordered to undergo anger management counseling. Additionally, he was suspended with pay from his coaching and teaching duties until last Oct. 23 by school officials.

 

County attorney Larry Stanley, who will defend the coach when the case goes to trial, said he believes the suit itself is not well grounded.

 

Attorneys in the case said it could be a year before the suit is heard.

[Guest region4fan]

And Warren County wonders why they have such a hard time keeping coaches or getting any to apply.

[pioneerfootballer]

If tidwell is fired after this season and I say that he might be (since we havent kept a coach longer that 3 years in 15 years) what are people going to think when they apply for the job who would want to apply for the job. If tidwell is gone after this year I think that the only thing that could turn this team around is if Gary Rankin comes back home to warren co. but I guess all we can do is dream.

[Guest region4fan]

Maybe Steve Britton would be interested. He is the oline coach at Riverdale, and I think was originally from Warren County???

[pioneerfootballer]

Yes Coach Britton would be great to have here in warren co. I think that almost the whole Riverdale staff is from Warren co. Coach Rankin, Coach Britton, and Coach Snow.

[Guest region4fan]

Actually Rankin is from Carthage. I think that he student taught In Warren County.

[pioneerfootballer]

Yeah i think that u are right. I know that he still goes to church in warren co.

[CCHSJets2002]

I think $20 millon is to much. i think the boy and his mother is getting greedy.

[krichunaka]

And Warren County wonders why they have such a hard time keeping coaches or getting any to apply.

fan,

 

I don't know why Warren County might have difficulty hiring, or keeping coaches. But your post is somewhat disturbing. It suggest that this is somehow the mother's fault that there's a problem.

 

Bobby Bowden said it best: "We push them to their potential; but we don't cuss them, and we never hit them."

 

And though I'm certain that the mother and her son will never see anything approaching 20 million bucks, there remains the fact that he hit her son in the head with a helmet.

 

Good Lord, this isn't rocket science. You simply don't do things like that.

 

If you have sons playing sports, then I'm sure you understand; and you've no doubt heard, "There's no wrath like the wrath of a woman scorned."

[Guest region4fan]

Actually I am talking about the national attention that this case is getting. Why would anyone want to come to Warren County which will be known forever as the place that a parent filed a 20 million dollar lawsuit! I also wonder why they waited a year to file? The coach was already punished. Her son was not permanently physically damaged. Afterall, he did attempt to go to White County to play.

 

While I agree that yes, her son was hurt and the coach should have notified the parent immediately, he still seeked treatment for her son. If your son is hurt on the field, a trainer or doctor tries to fix them up. Parenst know that and that is why they sign forms giving permission to treat. Remember, the coach had a job to do...coach the second half.

I know I would be upset too if my son was struck with a helmet whether accidentally or not. But what she is doing is punishing everyone. All the taxpayers will lose as well as the school system. In a county with a low pay scale already..these teachers will never get a raise! I think having the coach served during halftime in front of the players was totally classless. She is acting like a child .And these boys were her son's teammates.....they didn't throw the helmet and they are the ones still getting punished.

 

I don't know what kind of kid the boy is or what kind of man the coach is. I do know that the school board saw fit to retain Coach Tidwell in his job. If they thought he was negligent or a threat to the kids, he would have been fired. After al, he was new to the system and easy to fire. Obviously they felt he was competent even after the last media frenzy from this.So obviously there is more to this story that we do not know.l

[Falconstatman]

Actually I am talking about the national attention that this case is getting. Why would anyone want to come to Warren County which will be known forever as the place that a parent filed a 20 million dollar lawsuit! I also wonder why they waited a year to file? The coach was already punished. Her son was not permanently physically damaged. Afterall, he did attempt to go to White County to play.

 

While I agree that yes, her son was hurt and the coach should have notified the parent immediately, he still seeked treatment for her son. If your son is hurt on the field, a trainer or doctor tries to fix them up. Parenst know that and that is why they sign forms giving permission to treat.  Remember, the coach had a job to do...coach the second half.

I know I would be upset too if my son was struck with a helmet whether accidentally or not. But what she is doing is punishing everyone. All the taxpayers will lose as well as the school system. In a county with a low pay scale already..these teachers will never get a raise! I think having the coach served during halftime in front of the players was totally classless. She is acting like a child .And these boys were her son's teammates.....they didn't throw the helmet and they are the ones still getting punished.

 

I don't know what kind of kid the boy is or what kind of man the coach is. I do know that the school board saw fit to retain Coach Tidwell in his job. If they thought he was negligent or a threat to the kids, he would have been fired. After al, he was new to the system and easy to fire. Obviously they felt he was competent even after the last media frenzy from this.So obviously there is more to this story that we do not know.l

I agree with you region4fan completely.

20 million, that's a joke.

I'd let someone throw a helmet and hit me for 20 million.

I read in the paper, that the kid would never be able to play football again, sounds like lawyer talk to me, that he was emotionally scarred, or something like that.

Yes, the coach was in the wrong for doing this, and should have punished, and I think that he was but, 20 million dollars in damages? Get real!

You can't get blood from a turnip they say.

[SWEEPINGUP]

sue for 20 mil, insurance company offers to settle out of court for 300,000.00, attorney gets half, coach leaves town, momma gets to remodel her house and son gets a new car and his college paid for.