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Parents of gymnast who broke neck sue academy
They say Suncoast Gymnastics Academy pushed the 16-year-old "to perform a new gymnastics maneuver that was beyond her skill level."
By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published December 14, 2005
NEW PORT RICHEY - When 16-year-old Samantha Slusak broke her neck in a gymnastics accident last summer, her coach and a fellow gymnast described the front flip she had attempted as routine.
But Tuesday, Slusak's parents sued Suncoast Gymnastics Academy for pushing their daughter "to perform a new gymnastic maneuver that was beyond her skill level."
Samantha, who had trained at the New Port Richey facility since age 4, was paralyzed below her shoulders after failing to fully rotate her turn off a trampoline into a cushioned pit.
With the help of Morgan & Morgan, the personal injury law firm powerhouse, Frank and Celestia Slusak are seeking more than $15,000 in damages. Celestia Slusak declined to comment Tuesday.
So did Cindy Gwinn, who with her husband has coached at Suncoast Gymnastics since 1988 and owned the business since 1993.
The Gwinns spent many hours at the hospital with the Slusaks after Samantha's July 12 accident and have held fundraisers on her behalf.
"She went into the pit and, basically, just landed on her head," Arnold Gwinn told the Pasco Times the day after Samantha was injured. "She's done a million and a half of those things. It's not like it's a new skill. It just had to be a freak thing."
The Slusaks disagree. In court filings, they said academy employees negligently operated the facility and failed to properly supervise their students. That negligence, the lawsuit states, resulted in Samantha's permanent and total disability.
Samantha, who would have been a junior at River Ridge High School this fall, competed at the most competitive level in club gymnastics for more than two years before her injury. She had been to numerous state, regional and national tournaments.
The Slusaks want compensation for Samantha's pain and suffering, medical expenses and the loss of the ability to earn money in the future.
Colleen Jenkins covers courts in west Pasco County. She can be reached at 727 869-6236 or cjenkins@sptimes.com
[Last modified December 14, 2005, 00:15:15]
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