KCRA: “Former Del Campo student-athlete files lawsuit alleging abuse and racial discrimination”

Sweigart Murdock, LLP, filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of California on behalf of Riley Cochran-Hernandez, a young Hispanic student-athlete who devoted his life to football—and whose coaches at Del Campo High School in the San Juan Unified School District repaid that dedication with racial harassment, physical harm, and retaliation. KCRA in Sacramento interviewed both Karin and Riley to discuss the lawsuit.

The allegations in this case are not mere claims. Before we filed a single line of this complaint, the District conducted its own investigation and sustained the majority of Riley's charges—including that a head coach used the N-word in front of students, made comments suggesting immigrant students could be reported to ICE for a cash reward, forced players to do bear crawls in 110-degree heat with minimal water breaks until their hands blistered, and coerced an injured Riley to keep practicing despite a physician's written directive to rest. When Riley and his father reported the misconduct to school administrators, the coaches retaliated. Both coaches left after these allegations came to light, and yet the District provided Riley with no meaningful relief.

Our firm is proud to stand with Riley and his family as they fight for the accountability and justice the District has so far denied them.