Jake Giambrone was a baseball player growing up in Alabama. He played in tournaments all over the state as well as at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

His travels now are limited as he tries to recover from his paralysis suffered while competing against a coach during high school wrestling practice.

As a freshman at Auburn High in 2000, Jake was a encouraged by coaches to wrestle so he could get in shape for baseball. Two weeks after wrestling practice began and two days after Christmas, Jake and his coach, Michael Douglas, agreed to a "challenge" match during practice. Douglas had no wrestling experience, according to court records. He also was the baseball coach.

Court documents describe the incident this way:

Douglas, 29 at the time, weighed about 200 pounds and Jake, 15, was about 130 pounds. Douglas testified he attempted a "cement job." The offensive maneuver involved Douglas wrapping his arm underneath Jake's arm in an effort to roll Jake over. Jake testified that Douglas failed to properly encircle his arm, and that failure to execute the move properly is what led to his injury. Douglas, an assistant coach and team members testified Douglas performed the move properly.

Douglas testified he heard a "pop" during the maneuver and released Jake, who said he immediately lost feeling in his feet. Jake suffered fractures to his fourth and fifth vertebrae and a severely bruised spinal cord.

Jake is a quadriplegic with limited use of his arms. He can control his electronic wheel chair with a joy stick and a paddle device.

"It's a horrific story that is just unbelievable," said Joseph Giambrone, an Auburn University professor. "You can't believe that this could happen."

Jake's mother, Susan Giambrone, sued Douglas, Auburn High Athletic Director Charles Furlow and Principal Cathy Long. A lower court issued a summary judgment stating they could not be sued because of state-agent immunity, which is given to public employees to protect them from being sued for actions during the normal performance of their jobs.

The Alabama State Supreme Court ruled in August that the athletic director and principal could not be sued in this instance, but the coach could.

One of the reasons cited in the ruling against Douglas was that he had violated the code of conduct of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association, because he arranged a challenge match between individuals whose physical abilities were widely disparate. The Ohio High School Athletic Association has a similar rule.

The potentially illegal "cement job" move and the fact Douglas did not attend a coaches clinic as mandated by state rules also were factors.

Douglas and Susan Giambrone recently settled out of court for $2.1 million, the maximum Douglas' liability insurance would pay, Joseph Giambrone said. After attorneys' fees and a portion Giambrone's insurance companies received, Jake was left with about $1.1 million that is in a "special needs" fund for his care, Joseph Giambrone said. The Auburn community also raised about $35,000.

Jake has undergone three surgical procedures, one in Ecuador, but has made little progress.

"He's progressing more mentally and emotionally than physically," Joseph Giambrone said in a recent phone interview.

Jake is scheduled to graduate from Auburn High with his class in May. He attends school with a full-time nurse and tutor, paid for by the school, and plans to enroll at Auburn University in the fall.

"He wants to be a lawyer, to help those in need like him," Joseph Giambrone said.

Plain Dealer news researcher JoEllen Corrigan contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

twarsinskey@plaind.com, 440-602-4784

© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.

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