A federal lawsuit has now been filed against a high school basketball coach in Mississippi for allegedly whipping his players during practice.
The attorney representing some of the players has released cell phone video showing one of her clients being whipped.
In the video released to WLBT by attorney Lisa Ross, viewers can see and hear Murrah High School basketball coach Marlon Dorsey strike one of his players on the backside at least three times with a heavy leather belt used by weightlifters. Ross calls the action appalling.
“Teachers do not have a right to hit you,” says attorney Linda Ross, “And teachers especially do not have a right to hit you when you violate no rules.”
Equally appalling, says Ross, is the language the first year head coach allegedly uses as he whips the player.
She says that “it seems to be that the coach says ‘I’m gonna get you’re a** this time or I’m getting you’re a** this time.”
On Nov. 2, the players and their parents met to discuss the coach. Some of them accepted a written apology in which Dorsey claims his actions were punishment for bad behavior. Others like Joseph Horton felt coach Dorsey was way out of line.
“He can’t give me a good reason for putting his hand on my kid…”said Joseph Horton, “Because I don’t do it”
In her federal lawsuit on behalf of three of the players, Ross says claims coach dorsey made about the players’ behavior are false.
“There will be simply no evidence to show that any of my clients ever stole a cell phone; that they were disruptive in the classroom or that they disrespected any teacher, administrator or any other student,” She said, “If they had done so, they were supposed to do a write-up and they have not received any sort of write-up.”
The whippings allegedly have been going on since Sept. but the players didn’t report them for fear of being kicked off the basketball team. Reporters are told coach Marlon Dorsey’s punishment for his actions is 28 days suspension without pay.
Ross says she is seeking injunctive relief to prevent the whippings in the future and compensatory damages.
Attorney Joann Sheppard with Jackson Public Schools was unavailable for comment and coach Marlon Dorsey could not be reached for his response.