A federal appeals court has overruled a previous ruling allowing Towson's Gavin Class to return to the football team.
Class had a heat-releated episode during practice in August 2013. His heart and liver failed and he ended up having 14 surgeries during the course of his recovery. He was cleared to play football again by doctors at University of Maryland Medical Center and also those at the Korey Stringer Institute.
However, he had to file suit to play. Towson had said it was not safe for Class to resume football activities.
The appeals court ruled in Towson's favor on Friday. From the Baltimore Sun:
Towson correctly followed its policy governing the return to play of ailing athletes, wrote Judge Paul V. Niemeyer in his majority opinion for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va.
“Giving deference to Towson University’s judgment, as we are required to do, we uphold its determination,” Niemeyer wrote.
Class had filed a disability discrimination suit against the school. A district court had ruled in his favor in July and would have allowed him to practice with the team. However, since the university appealed his decision, he hasn't been able to join the team. Class is currently a senior.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
