In a significant legal move, a former high school football standout from California has launched a federal lawsuit, alleging years of abuse, racial discrimination, and retaliation by his coaches, which he asserts derailed his promising athletic career.

Riley Cochran-Hernandez, who once played for Del Campo High School, has named the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento County, along with former coaches Jeff Remington and Matt Costa, in his lawsuit, according to a report by KCRA3.

The lawsuit claims Cochran-Hernandez endured persistent racial and ethnic harassment, including the use of racial slurs like the N-word directed at students and threats involving reports to immigration authorities (ICE).

The detailed complaint, exceeding 20 pages and submitted last week, alleges a sustained pattern of misconduct that fostered a threatening and hostile environment for student-athletes.

Reflecting on his experiences, Cochran-Hernandez lamented, “They took more than just a future—they took away a child’s dream. I endured a great deal, and I firmly believe no one should have to endure what I did.”

Once a central part of his identity, football represented a gateway to higher aspirations, including dreams of playing college football, particularly for the University of Michigan.

The two coaches named in the complaint are Remington and Costa, both of whom served as head coaches during Cochran-Hernandez’s time at Del Campo.

“Coach Remington was telling us to report people to ICE for bounties, and we’re all kind of just like, what has this got to do with football?” Cochran-Hernandez said.

The complaint also details physically demanding and, at times, dangerous training conditions.

Players were allegedly required to perform grueling drills such as bear crawls in extreme heat —sometimes exceeding 100 degrees — while access to water was tightly controlled regardless of weather.

The filing argues these practices led to injuries and unnecessary physical harm. Cochran-Hernandez points to a severe quadriceps injury as a turning point.

He said he presented coaches with a doctor’s note instructing him to rest, but instead of being allowed to recover, he was pressured to continue participating.

“The coach blasted me out in front of everybody on the team, saying that he has people taking days off for quad injuries,” Cochran-Hernandez he said.

Asked whether he felt forced to keep playing, he was unequivocal: “Absolutely. It was either practice or get cut.”

He did not receive any college offers and had his athletic prospects “materially and potentially permanently foreclosed.”

The lawsuit claims that continuing to train worsened the injury significantly, ultimately leading to long-term complications, including nerve damage.

Cochran-Hernandez said the lingering effects have altered his mobility. “I’ve kind of learned to walk with my leg being numb,” he said. “But I haven’t learned to run or anything. I haven’t run since football.”

The filing further alleges that after Cochran-Hernandez and his father raised concerns with school officials, he became the target of retaliation.

According to the complaint, he was removed from the starting lineup, excluded from team activities and eventually dismissed from the team altogether. The alleged treatment lasted between 2021 and 2025.

One incident highlighted in both the lawsuit and Cochran-Hernandez’s account involves an end-of-season awards ceremony, where he says he was publicly mocked.

“I looked at the screen, and I heard everybody in that room laughing at me,” he said.

His attorney, Karin Sweigart, contends that school officials were made aware of the alleged misconduct but failed to intervene in a meaningful way.

“They were expressly made aware that this activity was going on, and they didn’t take the action to protect students,” Sweigart said. “That’s one of the most disheartening things about this situation.”

The California Post has reached out to both the school and the coaches for comment.

A district investigation conducted under its Uniform Complaint Procedure reportedly substantiated many of the allegations, ultimately leading to both coaches being removed from their roles.

Still, the lawsuit argues that those actions fell short of addressing the harm suffered by Cochran-Hernandez.

Cochran-Hernandez said the emotional aftermath has been just as difficult as the physical injuries. Once a source of purpose and structure, football now serves as a painful reminder of what he endured.

“Every day, football comes up on Instagram, the TV, and it just brings me back to that toxic environment, which once was a safe space for me,” he said.

Through the lawsuit, he hopes not only to seek accountability but also to spark broader changes in how schools respond to complaints from students.

“The bigger goal is that school districts take more seriously what’s happening with students and realize that it messes up a lot of people’s heads,” he said.

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