A former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s golfer has filed a federal lawsuit against the university, its Board of Trustees and multiple athletic department officials, alleging she suffered a catastrophic traumatic brain injury during an unsupervised mandatory workout and was subsequently denied medical care.
As reported by local ABC affiliate WTVC, Alexis Daniel alleges she was required to attend a mandatory early-morning workout at a campus athletic facility March 7, 2025, despite being told no staff member would be physically present to supervise the session.
According to the lawsuit, Daniel and a teammate arrived at the facility to find it unlocked but unstaffed, with no athletic trainers or strength personnel present, WTVC reported.
The lawsuit claims the unsupervised workout violated NCAA and university safety mandates prohibiting athletes from using weight room facilities without certified staff present.
According to WTVC, Daniel alleges she was placed in a “Catch-22” situation: either skip the workout and risk athletic punishment and potential loss of scholarship, or complete high-risk exercises without supervision.
The lawsuit claims Danel sustained a severe blow to the head during the workout, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. It also claims Daniel contacted an assistant athletic trainer seeking medical guidance due to neurological symptoms that escalated the following day.
According to the lawsuit, she did not receive a response for more than 30 hours and ultimately drove herself to an emergency room while neurologically impaired.
Among other claims in the lawsuit, as outlined by WTVC:
- University staff failed to activate NCAA concussion protocols and instead required Daniel to manage her symptoms remotely through self-reporting checklists for weeks.
- Daniel did not receive an in-person clinical evaluation from UTC medical staff until March 29, 22 days after the injury.
- Daniel was denied equal medical care and academic support compared to male student-athletes with head injuries.
- Daniel's athletic facility access and team communications were revoked following her injury.
- The university applied an unsolicited “athletic housing scholarship” credit to her student account in an attempt to limit liability, despite her not accepting or signing any scholarship agreement.
In addition to claims of medical negligence, the lawsuit asserts violations of Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, WTVC reported.
Daniel has requested a jury trial, and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief requiring reforms to UTC’s sports medicine oversight and Title IX compliance procedures.
