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Board discusses athletic‑trainer authority on concussion protocol and plans policy review
Summary
Board members and staff debated whether athletic trainers should have final authority to remove students for concussion protocol; staff said trainers make the call for suspected concussions and the district strengthened Family ID language to limit liability. The operations committee will review policy.
At a board meeting of the Olean City School District, a staff member told trustees that the district’s athletic trainer has "that final say that they can pull [a student] out to enter the concussion protocol," adding that for non‑concussion injuries the trainer can only recommend action to parents and coaches.
The staff member said the district relies on the trainer’s medical judgment and, when appropriate, refers cases to the district medical director, "doctor Matt," for further guidance. The staff member also described recent legal review and changes to Family ID sign‑up language to reduce district liability when parents choose not to follow medical recommendations.
Why this matters: decisions about who can clear a minor to return to play affect student safety, coach responsibilities and district legal exposure. Board members and committee participants highlighted situations when parents or coaches press for a student to remain in competition despite a trainer’s recommendation.
During discussion, trustees and committee members noted that some local districts do not employ full‑time trainers and that trainers in the region sometimes carry extra liability insurance or decline certain duties because of risk. A trustee suggested the operations committee consider developing clearer written policy spelling out when a trainer’s determination is binding and what role coaches and parents have.
Board members scheduled follow‑up conversation in operations; the meeting calendar item for that committee was moved to Tuesday, June 16 to accommodate participants’ schedules. No formal policy change or vote on trainer authority was recorded at this meeting.
The board’s statements focused on clarifying roles and limiting legal risk; the next procedural step is committee review and possible drafting of a formal policy describing medical authority, parental authorization and coach responsibilities.
