Lawsuit alleges soccer coach benched teen who was injured by teammate for alleged racial slur

FIRST ON FOX: A New York family has filed a lawsuit against a Christian school, the Archdiocese of New York and a former soccer coach, alleging that their teenage son was injured after school officials failed to supervise students before a high school athletic event.

The lawsuit also included allegations that the student who was injured was the one who was punished, for allegedly using a racial slur.

The complaint, filed in New York Supreme Court in Dutchess County, was brought by S.O. on behalf of his minor child, L.O., a student and soccer player at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie. The suit names the school, the Archdiocese of New York and a former coach as defendants.

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According to the complaint, the case stems from a Sept. 19, 2025, alleged. incident involving L.O. and another member of the school’s soccer team. The complaint alleges the teammate grabbed L.O. and slammed him onto a patch of concrete, causing abrasions to his arm, back and hip, and the coach was not present during the incident.

After the incident, the coach allegedly questioned the team but did not speak with L.O. outside the presence of the other player, according to the complaint. The filing says the coach focused on L.O.’s statement that, if he was a "camel," the other player was an "ape," which the coach allegedly interpreted as a racial slur. The coach then allegedly ordered L.O. to turn his jersey inside out and benched him for the rest of warmups and the game.

The complaint alleges that the coach did not assess L.O. for injuries or ask whether he was okay, despite being told that he had been hurt.

The coach was later terminated by the school, according to multiple reports.

The filing says L.O. and his parents did not request Cancro’s termination and alleges that the decision was made solely by the school and/or the Archdiocese.

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The lawsuit further alleges that, after Cancro’s termination, L.O. and his parents became the target of hostility from team members, parents and coaches.

The lawsuit asserts one cause of action: negligent supervision. It alleges that the school, Archdiocese and Cancro had a duty to supervise students during the athletic event and breached that duty by failing to ensure an adult was present before and during the altercation.

The family seeks damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, psychological harm, humiliation, property damage and other monetary losses, along with costs and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs, Kimberly Lau of the firm Offit Kurman, has provided a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Context matters. A child was hurt on school grounds during a time when supervision was required. We hope that the school can work with the family to restore a positive school environment for him and ensure all students are protected in the future," Lau said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Our Lady of Lourdes High School and the Archdiocese of New York.