Princeton private school blamed for teen softball player's injuries

A family claims their daughter was injured by an athletic director four years ago

PRINCETON - A Connecticut family claims their teenage daughter was overworked and injured by an athletic director while playing softball for the Hun School of Princeton four years ago, according to a recently filed lawsuit. 

Jane Woods, a Connecticut woman, filed the lawsuit in the Superior Court of Mercer County earlier this week. In the suit, Woods claimed that her daughter was a 7^th grade student and pitcher for the school's softball team in 2012.  

By mid-April of that year, the teen had pitched so many consecutive games and practices that she was starting to feel "slight physical discomfort," the suit said. 

During one game, the pain got so severe that she was evaluated by an athletic director, who found nothing wrong. 

"(Woods' daughter) was told to pitch the game despite her complaints of discomfort," the suit said. Woods named William Quirk Jr., an athletic director at the school, as the person responsible for telling her daughter to go back to the game.

Woman sues hospital over medical records

But the pain still didn't go away, the suit said.

After one inning, Quirk took the girl off the field and told her to lie on her side while he put all his body weight on top of her, "manipulating her body," Woods claimed. 

"At that point, (Woods' daughter) was scared and complied with defendant (Quirk's) instruction," the suit said.

After the side exercise, Quirk gave the teen a "bear hug squeeze," from behind, the suit said.

"Woods' daughter heard a cracking/popping sound in her back and was in excruciating pain," the suit said.

The girl finished the inning after instruction from her coach but had to leave before the end of the game because of the pain, the suit said.

Woods claims the Hun School and the Athletic Department did not alert the family to their daughter's pain and were careless in treating the girl.

She also claims they overworked her as a pitcher, which led to her initial injuries. 

Finally, Woods claims the "bear hug squeeze" and the exercises Quirk did on her daughter during the game count as "assault and battery."

A representative for the school did not return a call for comment Thursday.

rriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.