KY TV sportscaster sues local HS

The lawsuit says Trinity High School should have done more to protect this reporter from the "skills, speed, power and athleticism of its players."

Longtime Louisville sportscaster files lawsuit against Trinity over football game injury


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A well-known Louisville sportscaster has filed a lawsuit against Trinity High School almost a year after he suffered a serious knee injury while covering a football game.

Fred Cowgill, the sports director at WLKY-TV, filed the lawsuit in Jefferson Circuit Court on Monday.

The incident in question took place on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, at Marshall Stadium on Trinity High School's campus.

According to the lawsuit, Cowgill arrived at the stadium with a camera to cover Trinity's season-opener against Carmel High School. He was there to shoot and report the game for WLKY and no credential was required, the lawsuit claims.

 

Pretty sure that's a known risk of being on the sideline. The fall I was pregnant, the local high school was a very nervous about me being on the sideline. I was exceedingly careful.

 

This is BS. If you're on a sideline — football, lacrosse, golf, hoops, baseball, whatever — you take the risk. What a jackass.


Years ago I worked with an older photographer who took a roller on the sideline. Broke his leg. Not good for an older guy but he got it fixed, worked in the office until he could be mobile and got back after it. Didn't bitch or file a lawsuit.

 

At a former shop, it wasn't officially football season until one of the local HS's AD sent a blanket email/fax to every media outlet letting them know they would only be allowed outside the 25s and anyone near the field is doing so at their own risk.

 

One night in Townshend, covering boys hoops, standing under the basket, camera in one hand, notebook and pen in the other, Home Team starts to run its backdoor layup, I bring the camera up and stare thru the lens, guy at the stripe zips a 2-hand over-the-head pass straight down the lane ... cutter doesn't catch it ... ball straight into my junk.

 

No excuse whatsoever for that lawsuit. It's an inherent risk.

 

I made it clear to every head coach before football season that I'd be allowed to walk the sidelines -- mainly because the fields near Rocky Mount were so poorly lit and poorly marked -- so I could keep my own stats. At the same time, it was my No. 1 priority to stay out of the way and keep my head on a swivel.

If they had a problem with it, I never heard them mention it. If anything, they were glad to have the coverage.

The one time I got hurt was on my birthday of all days, chasing after the Rocky Mount coach before they got back on the team bus. In the dark, I didn't see a gap in the concrete sidewalk and fell flat on my face on the asphalt right at the coach's feet. Cut up my nose and chin, but still got the interview, went back to the office and put out the paper. I'm a gamer.

And yeah, at no point did I think about suing the school or the school district. I was more ticked at myself for getting blood on a brand-new shirt.

 

I wonder if he put in for workers comp and was denied and is seeking coverage of medical bills?

 

Boy, I've seen a lot worse workers comp cases get approved and lead to significant settlements.

 

For a transparent cashgrab like this, presumably his attorneys are working on a contingency basis and will take at least 1/3 of whatever settlement they can wrangle.

 

"YOU DON'T PAY UNLESS WE GET YOU A SETTLEMENT!"