Editor’s note: This story was updated to include a statement issued by Penn State Health.

A former team doctor for Penn State is suing the university and football Coach James Franklin, claiming Franklin pressured him about clearing injured players to return to the gridiron.

Dr. Scott A. Lynch claims in a lawsuit filed in Dauphin County Court that Franklin repeatedly tried to influence his decisions regarding whether hurt players were fit to play.

Lynch contends that his complaints about Franklin’s supposed interference prompted Penn State officials to remove Lynch from his two posts charged with safeguarding the health of student athletes.

Lynch was removed as Orthopedic Physician for the football team and Director of Athletic Medicine for the university in March.

He is seeking more than $50,000 in damages from the university in his suit. He claims Penn State officials violated his rights as a whistleblower.

Attempts were being made to try to contact Franklin and other Penn State officials about the suit on Monday morning. Penn State Health, which is also named as a defendant, issued the following statement:

“In February 2019, Penn State Health administrators decided to change leadership for athletic medicine and the delivery of care for Intercollegiate Athletics. This transition was completed with the best interests of student-athletes in mind, given the increasing complexity and growing demands of sports medicine, as well as health care in general,” it reads. “While we reject Dr. Lynch’s claims and will vigorously defend our program and its representatives, we remain grateful to him for his five years as director of athletic medicine for Intercollegiate Athletics and for his continued association with Penn State Health.”

The defendants in Lynch’s suit include the university, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which provides medical services for Penn State athletes and where Lynch still works, Franklin, Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, Senior Associate Athletic Director Charmelle Green and Dr. Kevin P. Black, chair orthopedics and rehabilitation for Penn State.

Lynch’s 43-page suit, filed by Philadelphia attorney Steven F. Marino, does not list any examples of specific incidents where Franklin supposedly tried to influence a player’s medical care or return to the field. Lynch merely accuses Franklin of trying to sway medical treatment and return to play decisions “on multiple and repeated occasions.”

He claims he resisted that alleged interference, which he contends endangered the health of the student-athletes. Lynch claims his ouster is a direct result of his complaining about Franklin to other university officials.

According to the suit, Black appointed Lynch as orthopedic physician for the football team in February 2013. In August 2014, Black named Lynch to serve as director of athletic medicine.

In replacing Lynch in March, university officials said they wanted a team orthopedist to be stationed in State College, as opposed to Hershey, where Lynch is based. Lynch’s successor is Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, who served as team orthopedist for 20 years before being replaced by Lynch.

Lynch contends that the officially stated reason for Sebastianelli’s appointment is “wholly false” and was concocted to cover up conspiracy by university officials to punish Lynch for griping about Franklin.

His removal violates more than just Pennsylvania’s Whistleblower Law, which is designed to protect from retaliation those who in good faith report wrongdoing, Lynch claims. He contends his ouster also breaches NCAA and Big Ten Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regulations that bar coaches from interfering in the treatment of injured athletes.

For more on this story, check back with PennLive.