College of Education and Human Development

In the News: James Kozlowski

The May issue of Parks & Recreation, the main trade publication for the leisure and sports industry, includes a column titled "Lower Liability Standard for Coaches During Competition" written by James Kozlowski, an attorney and associate professor in the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University.

From the article:

Once a participant in a contact sport sustains a concussion, the risk of a second, more serious concussion increases, particularly when a participant is returned to the competition after exhibiting concussion symptoms. As a result, once a participant exhibits readily observable symptoms of a concussion, a coach may owe a legal duty to restrict an injured player’s participation to avoid further aggravation of the initial head injury sustained during a competition.

While a coach in a contact sport owes a legal duty not to aggravate a pre-existing condition, even one sustained moments earlier during a competition, the federal court in the Mercier case described herein still had to determine whether a coach in a contact sport will only be held liable for reckless misconduct, not mere negligence.

 

Click here for the full article.

 

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About CEHD

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE, and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. George Mason University, located just outside of Washington, DC, is Virginia's largest public research university.

For additional information:

• CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
• School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism: rht.gmu.edu
• Recreation Management program: rht.gmu.edu/por

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