Former LSU player Greg Brooks Jr. is filing a lawsuit against the school and medical center for negligence that led to emergency brain surgery

Greg Brooks Jr., the former LSU football player and team captain whose career ended after the discovery of a brain tumor last fall, is suing the school and its affiliated medical center for negligence. Brooks accuses coaches of inaction and athletic trainers of misdiagnosis and is making claims against the surgeon who operated on him.

The 13-page lawsuit, filed in August in East Baton Rouge Parish and obtained by Yahoo Sports on Thursday, unearths unreported details about the timeline of events over the last year surrounding Brooks' unexpected turn of events – from a star safety in the SEC with the NFL Wishes for a now “permanently disabled” man who still can’t walk a year after surgery.

The suit details the beginning of Brooks' symptoms during football practice last August through his emergency brain surgery in September – a story that captivated the country last year. He took part in two football games before the brain tumor was discovered during an MRI scan.

In the lawsuit, Brooks accuses the coaching staff of encouraging him to practice and play during his illness by jeopardizing his starting position, and he makes claims against team trainers who failed to adequately diagnose his condition and refused for weeks to recommend him to a neurologist Specialist.

In the most serious allegations, Brooks claims that he suffered “catastrophic neurological injuries” and is “permanently disabled” as a result of brain surgery performed by Brandon Gaynor, a surgeon at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. Brooks says he suffered “multiple strokes” due to “malpractice” during the operation. These alleged acts are being investigated as part of a medical review of the malpractice claims filed by the family.

In addition to Gaynor, several LSU coaching and training staff as well as doctors at the medical center are named and held jointly responsible in the lawsuit. The list includes head coach Brian Kelly, then-defensive coordinator Matt House, then-safeties coach Kerry Cooks, head athletic trainer Owen Stanley and team doctors Stephen Etheredge and Vincent Shaw.

Both LSU and Our Lady of the Lake released statements to Yahoo Sports this week.

“First and foremost, our prayers go out to Greg for his continued healing and recovery. Due to patient privacy laws and pending litigation, we cannot comment on specific individuals or situations,” the hospital said in a statement. “Our Lady of the Lake's neurosurgical team is among the most experienced in Louisiana and offers our patients the best chance of a positive outcome under any circumstance. Providing excellent health care to those we serve is our top priority.”

The school wrote: “While LSU cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Greg Brooks remains in our thoughts and prayers as he continues to work through the rehabilitation process. Since the beginning of our agreement with our championship healthcare partner, Our Lady of the Lake, they have provided exceptional medical care to our student-athletes in all of our sports.”

Brooks and his family did not respond to a request for comment.

A year after surgery, Brooks can't walk, can't use his right hand and has significant difficulty speaking, according to a request his lawyers sent to the Division of Administration's Medical Review Panel.

“Greg will likely require care for the rest of his life for the injuries he sustained as a result of his caregivers’ misconduct,” the document states. “Of course, Greg will never be able to play football again and he will probably never be able to work and/or care for himself without the help of others.”

Brooks developed a condition known as “posterior fossa syndrome” after surgery. This is a post-operative problem that occurs in some patients and presents with a range of symptoms including effects on speech, motor skills and behavior. His neurological injuries were a “direct result of these neurosurgeons’ misconduct,” the lawsuit says.

Brooks was eventually transferred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis last October and suffered a “prolonged hospitalization, rehabilitation and recovery” that lasted nine months. He recently spent several days in the Memphis hospital for a procedure.

In the lawsuit, Brooks also accuses LSU of disclosing confidential medical information that was “false and misleading”; the use of his name, image and likeness without his consent; and refused to transfer ownership of a fundraising fund in his name through the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation. There is an NCAA policy requiring documentation of qualified medical expenses for distribution of these funds. LSU did not address the fund in its statement.

Brooks, a native of Harvey, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans, was a three-year starter at safety for Arkansas before transferring to LSU in 2022. In his first season with the Tigers, he ranked fifth on the team in tackles in 13 games and recorded a game-winning interception in a win against Auburn.

Last August, before the start of his fifth senior season, he was elected permanent team captain and entered the season as an NFL draft prospect.

But on Aug. 5, the first week of LSU's preseason camp, Brooks experienced symptoms of nausea and dizziness and vomited during practice. He was treated with Zofran for the nausea and was allowed to return to the practice. Two days later, on August 7, Brooks' symptoms worsened. LSU trainers cleared Brooks of a concussion after he used an electronic app called “C3 Logix” on an iPad, the complaint says. On August 11, Brooks experienced additional symptoms during a “rolling drill” during practice. He was treated for “dizziness.”

The symptoms continued over the next few weeks as the Tigers prepared for their season opener against Florida State in Orlando. Brooks was given the option not to attend practice, but was “at the same time told by the coaching staff that if he sat out, someone else would take his place, potentially causing him to lose his starting position,” the lawsuit says.

He played the majority of LSU's first two games against Florida State and Grambling. On September 13, 39 days after Brooks first experienced symptoms, the coaches planned to have him examined by a neurologist when the MRI scan was performed.

The trainers then shared the results with Brooks and arranged for emergency surgery that same day at LSU-affiliated Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center. The medical center “handpicked” Gaynor as its surgeon and “never explained” to Brooks or his parents that they could explore other treatment options, the complaint says.

The lawsuit alleges that Gaynor “did not have the appropriate education, training and/or experience to perform the procedure.” Removal of this type of brain tumor requires a craniotomy and excision and is routinely performed by “trained pediatric neurosurgeons,” the complaint states.

As Gaynor approached surgery, he told Brooks that he would likely be able to eat dinner that same night and that the “worst case scenario” would be that he would have difficulty swallowing and speaking for a few months, according to a letter to the medical review board.

Brooks' tumor was classified after surgery as a “pediatric tumor,” usually a cancerous growth that occurs in children. However, childhood tumors can also occur in adults. In general, it can be difficult to detect malignant brain tumors because they grow slowly and, according to medical journals, can be “asymptomatic” until they reach an advanced stage, meaning they cause no symptoms.

The Commission on Cancer Accreditation has accredited Our Lady of the Lake for cancer removal procedures for years. Accreditation is typically determined based on a hospital's surgical success rate. The surgeon in the lawsuit's crosshairs, Gaynor, was certified in neurological surgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 2018, according to his biography on Our Lady of the Lake's website.

In a continuation of its statement, the hospital wrote: “As LSU's Championship Health Partner, Our Lady of the Lake leads the team of healthcare professionals who care for LSU athletes.” The team of sports medicine physicians, cardiologists, neurologists and other specialists work with the LSU’s athletic department works together to ensure student-athletes receive the highest level of comprehensive care.”

After Brooks' surgery, LSU honored him by playing a game against Arkansas last year and wearing helmet decals with No. 3, his jersey number. A few weeks later, the school honored Gaynor during halftime of the LSU-Florida game for his “heroic” effort in dealing with Brooks – something the lawsuit condemns. The actions “further exacerbated Greg’s significant emotional distress,” the lawsuit says.

A hearing is scheduled for February 10 before Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts. In the most recent filing, dated Oct. 7, Brooks' attorneys requested a subpoena for LSU, its board of directors and the Louisiana Office of the Administrative Commissioner.