In a recent civil trial against Penn State's head coach James Franklin and the school, Dr. Pete Seidenberg, a former team doctor, alleged that Franklin attempted to interfere with medical decisions involving players on the team. The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained testimony from Dr. Seidenberg, who served as the primary care doctor for Penn State's football team in 2014.

According to Dr. Seidenberg's testimony, both Franklin and athletic director Sandy Barbour pressured him to medically disqualify a player who had attempted suicide. The alleged motive behind this interference was to free up a scholarship for the team. The player in question was receiving short-term psychiatric care at the time.

Dr. Seidenberg revealed that he perceived Franklin's actions as an attempt to influence medical decisions. However, he stood his ground and declined to give in to the pressure from Franklin and Barbour. The doctor also mentioned other instances where he believed Franklin overstepped his bounds in attempting to have his way on medical decisions, involving both himself and former director of athletic medicine Dr. Scott Lynch.

The lawsuit was initially filed by Dr. Lynch, who claims that his unwillingness to comply with Franklin's desires played a significant role in his termination in March 2019. Dr. Seidenberg, who now practices medicine outside of Pennsylvania, provided supporting testimony for Dr. Lynch's allegations.

It is important to note that Franklin himself was removed as a defendant in 2020 due to the statute of limitations. The lawsuit is currently directed at Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Dr. Kevin Black, who was responsible for Dr. Lynch's dismissal.

James Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State since 2014, boasting an overall record of 88-39. In 2023, he signed a 10-year guaranteed contract that will pay him more than $70 million.

The civil trial is ongoing, and further developments are expected as the case progresses.