Friday, February 20, 2009

More on Johnson's Pitiful Deposition in the Max Gilpin case

This from WAVE TV:

WAVE's embed code doesn't seem to work, so here's the direct link.

It's just more bad news.

...The following is part of Johnson's deposition:

Attorney: "The fact that two children went to the hospital on August 20th, one that died at the hospital, you have no documents whatsoever maintained in your office or anywhere relating to that event?"

Johnson: "Not personal documents, no."

Attorney: "If you received an e-mail from anyone who was in attendance at the soccer game or football practice, would it be your practice to retain it and forward it to the school board?"

Johnson: "If it's just an opinionated e-mail, I would delete them."

The attorneys asked what Johnson found out from Stinson. Johnson said two days after Gilpin collapsed, he talked to Stinson briefly at the hospital about the practice and he believed Stinson to be truthful.

Attorney: "Did Stinson tell you what his role was in assisting Max?"

Johnson: "No."

Attorney: "To this day you don't know what Mr. Stinson did to assist Max?"

Johnson: "No."

Attorney: "Have you ever asked him?"

Johnson: "No."

In an attempt to possibly prove the school was interested in protecting itself, attorneys for the Gilpin family did enter into evidence several e-mails circulating among Johnson and other school officials looking into what kind of performance enhancing drugs Gilpin may have been taking. Johnson was also asked about a letter from the commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association asking for the school's final investigation of Gilpin's collapse. Johnson said he did not know if anything was ever turned over to the KHSAA.

2 comments:

Richard Day said...

Moderating comments on a blog is bothersome.

On the one hand, we want the tone of the blog to be professional. On the other hand, I generally oppose censorship and don't feel entirely good about moderating speech. But we are not a governmental entity here, and that's the choice I've made. People are free to contribute inflamatory comment elsewhere - so I'm OK with my choice in this limited sense.

That said, I'm going to try something.

Perhaps I should have simply deleted it, but the following comment has been edited to remove some instances of name-calling by the commenter.

While I can appreciate one's passion, particularly when it comes to the protection of children, name-calling isn't going to cure the problem.

Restraint is appreciated.

Richard Day said...

This from nusayler (edited - emphasis in original):

I have been a professional youth athletic coach for 25 years--all in "hot and humid" climates.

Even if one lacks training or education, even if one has not spent any time coaching; simple, human, common sense tells one this: In the entire world of sport--from the Sunday afternoon pick-up T-ball game amongst a bunch of 8 year olds to the Super Bowl--one can be a coach, a player, an owner, a competitor, or whatever, and you WILL NEVER accomplish--you have no sane reason to think you might accomplish--anything WORTH A HUMAN LIFE.

Indeed, a coach of the greatest integrity and wisdom can certainly make bad decisions--decisions that set into motion events which cost lives. We've all heard of the coach who used his best judgment when he sent players out on to a field when the weather was perhaps dubious only to have a lightning strike take a life. Sure, such decisions will always be rationally debatable, but making a bad call about the weather IS morally defensible.

What these _________ in Kentucky did WAS NOT A BAD CALL. … They let a young man die of thirst. DIE OF THIRST. For those of you who would implicate his medication know this: The necessity of replenishing bodily fluids is as basic as it gets. The young man who died NEEDED WATER TO LIVE. If his medication were an issue, it could have been dealt with afterwards. If you're dying of thirst, you're dying of thirst, and that's all anyone needs to know.

On that subject: Adderall has been used by millions for decades safely and successfully…

The very idea that a coach--someone who presents himself as a professional into whose care a parent might safely and confidently deliver the life of their child--would deny dehydrated athletes water, is INSANE. Moreover, it is inimical to common sense and the whole philosophy of athletics--which under the right guidance is a noble and Godly pursuit…