A mistrial was declared during opening arguments for an orthopedic surgeon's lawsuit against Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Penn State, CBS News reported March 11.
Scott Lynch, MD, sued the university in 2019 and alleged he was was removed from his positions as director of athletic medicine and a team orthopedic surgeon in retaliation for raising concerns that football head coach James Franklin interfered with the team physicians' decisionmaking.
But a judge declared mistrial March 11 after a defense attorney said Mr. Franklin and Penn State Athletics were dropped from the lawsuit. Dr. Lynch's lawyer raised an objection. After a closed-door meeting the judge said they were dismissed from the lawsuit in 2020 over a filing deadline issue, not the merits of the case. The judge went on to rule that the mentioning of the dismissal prejudiced the jury.