GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU football program, head coach Brian Kelly, three of his former assistants, head athletic trainer Owen Stanley, team doctors, Our Lady of the Lake Hospital and its surgeon Brandon Gaynor are named in an excruciatingly detailed lawsuit by former Tiger safety Greg Brooks Jr. that claims gross medical negligence.
In a lawsuit filed last August but only publicized Friday, first by Yahoo, Brooks claims LSU athletic trainers and team doctors misdiagnosed his cancerous brain tumor as Vertigo in August of 2023. Brooks learned not until Sept. 14, 2023, that he had the tumor, according to the lawsuit received by Tiger Rag on Friday.
The suit says LSU immediately pushed Brooks to surgery on that Sept. 15 by Lake surgeon dr. Brandon Graynor, whom the suit contends was not qualified, or at least not the best option. Graynor removed most of the tumor, but caused irreparable harm, Rosenblum and the lawsuit state.
READ GREG BROOKS JR. LAWSUIT VS. LSU HERE:
Download Copy of Greg Brooks’ Lawsuit Here“The type of surgery Greg had is a very complicated and meticulous surgery with virtually no margin for error because of the various nerves involved,” Jeffrey S. Rosenblum of the Rosenblum & Reisman law firm in Memphis, Tennessee, told Tiger Rag on Friday afternoon.
The lawsuit states that Brooks, 23, has a “permanent disability.”
Rosenblum is representing Brooks as is Kara Hadison Samuels’ law firm in New Orleans.
“The way the surgery was done may have created permanent brain damage,” Rosenblum said. “Greg is a fighter. He’s a warrior. But right now he is not able to walk and cannot talk or communicate normally. I stand by every allegation that is made in the lawsuit.”
Interestingly, Brooks’ biography via LSU’s website updated after the 2023 season says this: “Transported to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in September, where he underwent surgery to remove tumor and began treatment.”
That is incorrect. The surgery was done at the Lake, though he did have further treatment at St. Jude.
Also named in the 13-page suit filed on Aug. 2, 2024, in East Baton Rouge Parish’s 19th Judicial District court are former LSU defensive coordinator Matt House, former safeties coach Kerry Cooks and team doctors Stephen Etheridge, Vincent Shaw, and Tony Johnson II – all of whom the lawsuit states “are family practice doctors without specialized training in neurology.”
Brooks spends much of his time at a rehabilitation facility in Louisiana in a wheelchair or in bed and has to be helped to and from each, Rosenblum told Tiger Rag. This after Brooks since 2019 had been a top defensive back at Arkansas through the 2021 season and at LSU in 2022 and early 2023. He started 31 games at Arkansas in three seasons. He started 13 at LSU in 2022 and the first two games in 2023 – after complaining of neurological disorders such as vomiting and dizziness since Aug. 5 to trainers and coaches to no avail for several weeks, the suit says.
A New Orleans area native, Brooks signed with Arkansas’ class of 2019 as a four-star prospect, the No. 9 cornerback in the country and No. 74 overall prospect out of West Jefferson High School.
“This young man was going to get drafted and play in the NFL,” Rosenblum said. “It’s tragic. He was walking and talking normally the day before the emergency surgery. He did not need to have emergency surgery. There was time to locate a more qualified surgeon.”
The lawsuit does not quantify the monetary damages it is seeking. But it asks for “all damages reasonable in the premises, together with legal interest from the date of judicial demand until paid, or all costs of those proceedings, and for all general and equitable relief to which (Brooks) is entitled as a matter of law.”
LSU’s Greg Brooks Jr. Began Showing Neurological Symptoms On Aug. 5, 2023
On Aug. 5, 2023, Brooks passed out during an LSU football practice and “began to vomit minutes later in front of his coaches and athletic trainers,” the lawsuit states. He complained of dizziness, a headache and nausea, which are all neurological symptoms. Stanley, the trainer, spoke with Dr. Etheredge and gave Brooks medication for nausea and cleared him to return to practice without seeing a doctor, the lawsuit says.
Dr. Shaw saw Brooks briefly after practice that day, but “failed to do any type of detailed examination,” the lawsuit states. Brooks kept practicing and complaining of the above symptoms for several more days without seeing a doctor through Aug. 11. Then Owen diagnosed Brooks with dizzy-related Vertigo, but he did that without Brooks seeing a team doctor, the lawsuit says.
“Rather than refer Greg to a competent neurologist to evaluate him, Stanley instead evaluated Greg himself with an app on his phone and again cleared him to practice despite clearly lacking the appropriate medical training and education to make such decisions,” the lawsuit states.
Brooks kept complaining of dizziness, nausea and headaches on a daily basis, but continued to be cleared to practice and play in games, the suit says. Brooks played in LSU’s first two games on Sept. 3 against Florida State in Orlando, Florida, and against Grambling on Sept. 9. He said in interviews with reporters at the time that he had “Vertigo.”
Finally as he continued to complain about his condition, LSU made a Sept. 13 appointment for Brooks with a neurologist, who ordered an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test on Sept. 14. That MRI revealed Brooks had a brain tumor, and LSU immediately scheduled surgery on Sept. 15.
What If LSU Set Up Appointment With Neurologist Sooner?
“Had Greg been referred to a neurologist in early August, Greg’s brain tumor would have been discovered weeks earlier, and Greg would have been spared the pain and suffering that he endured in the weeks leading up to his ultimate brain tumor diagnosis,” the lawsuit states.
He may have also been faced with the same or similar situation, but the lawsuit pointed out that “he would have been afforded the opportunity to research and explore treatment options, rather than get rushed to an emergent brain surgery.”
And he could have explored doctor options, the suit says. That’s not what happened whether Dr. Gaynor was qualified or not.
“The LSU defendants (the above doctors and trainer) arranged and paid for all medical care provided to Greg Brooks Jr.,” the lawsuit says. LSU, not Brooks or his parents, also got the results first, the suit says.
Brooks “suffered great harm because of his detrimental reliance on defendants (LSU) for the surgeon, who was not qualified to do this particular surgery, and moreover, was certainly not the best choice for this surgery, even in the Baton Rouge area,” the lawsuit says. “(Brooks) now knows that there is at least one other neurosurgeon in the Baton Rouge area with significantly more experience and training to do the surgery, but nobody told Greg about this individual before (LSU) made arrangements for Brandon Gaynor, M.D., to operate.”
The lawsuit states that Dr. Gaynor’s website “clearly indicates that his training, education, and experience lies in performing spinal surgery.”
The website mentions a spine specialty first and foremost but does later include brain tumor experience. Gaynor’s website says the following:
“Dr. Gaynor specializes in adult neurosurgery including degenerative disease of the spine, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, sciatica, radiculopathy, cranial and spinal trauma, spine fracture, hydrocephalus, and peripheral nerve disorders. He also has extensive experience in the surgical management of brain conditions such as stroke, brain tumor, and subdural hematoma.”
During the surgery, Brooks “suffered multiple strokes due to acts of malpractice, which are being addressed in a medical review panel proceeding,” the lawsuit states. “Greg sustained severe and permanent injuries during the surgery and was transferred to Memphis for (hospital) care in October of 2023.”
Brooks was later moved to a facility in Louisiana, where he remains.
Michael S. Futrell of the Connick And Connick law firm in Metairie is one of the attorneys representing LSU in this lawsuit. He did not respond as of Saturday morning to a request for comment made Friday afternoon by Tiger Rag.
Thomas Temple Jr. of the Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson law firm in Baton Rouge is one of the attorneys representing Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in this lawsuit. He also did not respond as of Saturday morning to a request for comment by Tiger Rag made on Friday afternoon.
Our Lady of the Lake Hospital did release a statement Friday:
“First and foremost, our prayers remain with Greg for his continued healing and recovery. Due to patient privacy laws and pending litigation, we can’t comment on specific individuals or situations. The neurosurgical team at Our Lady of the Lake is among the most experienced in Louisiana, and they give our patients the best opportunity for a positive outcome in any circumstance. Providing excellent healthcare to those we serve is our top priority.”
The lawsuit says Brooks has had no contact with any members of the coaching staff at LSU since leaving Baton Rouge.
“Brian Kelly has not communicated with Greg or his father or anyone in his family,” Rosenblum told Tiger Rag.
LSU did honor Brooks profusely last season while he was being treated at the St. Jude cancer hospital in Memphis. He was named a permanent team captain, and the Tigers wore his No. 3 as decals on their helmets from the Mississippi State game on Sept. 16 – the first game Brooks missed – through the end of the season and painted his No. 3 on the Tiger Stadium field.
LSU, however, has also “refused to transfer ownership and management” of a monetary fund set up for Brooks last year through the Tiger Athletic Foundation, a fund raising arm of the athletic department.
“He cannot access the funds,” the lawsuit states. “LSU instead has maintained control over this fund and have made it difficult for Brooks to utilize funds that were raised for his sole benefit at a time when he desperately requires assistance.”
Kelly has had no comment on the lawsuit going into his team’s home game against Ole Miss on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC).
Only LSU’s senior associate athletic director/chief communications officer Zach Greenwell has commented.
“While LSU cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Greg Brooks Jr. remains in our thoughts and prayers as he continues to work through the rehabilitation process,” Greenwell texted to Tiger Rag on Friday. “Since the beginning of our agreement with Our Lady of the Lake, they have provided exceptional medical care for our student-athletes in all our sports.”
Not in this case, contends Brooks, his family and his legal team.
“Greg Brooks Jr. sustained severe and painful personal injuries, damages, harms, and losses he otherwise would not have sustained,” the lawsuit concludes and lists these:
-Past and future physical pain and suffering
-Past and future mental anguish and emotional distress
-Past and future medical expenses
-Need for ongoing medical monitoring
-Permanent disability
-Loss of earnings and/or lost earning capacity
-Loss of the enjoyment of life.
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