A 14-year-old high school student’s football dreams were shattered after his coach allegedly assaulted him, according to new court documents.
Shayson Willock, from Brooklyn, New York, USA, claims that Coach Nicholas Nugent brutally attacked him in a stairwell at James Madison High School last September, leading to severe injuries.
The criminal complaint and civil lawsuit detail that Nugent allegedly struck Shayson’s head against a wall with such force that the teenager lost consciousness and required six staples in the skull.
Shayson’s mother, Deslyn Willock, expressed her deep frustration in a recent statement, stating: “I don’t know who to trust,” and criticized school administrators for what she believes was a failure to address the incident properly. She also accused them of leaving it up to her to report the attack to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Deslyn Willock, who has filed $2.5 million lawsuit against Nugent, the city, and the Department of Education, further declared: “I don’t know if I can trust the teachers… I don’t even know if I can trust the justice system. I felt like everyone failed me. Everyone failed my son.”
The attack reportedly occurred on September 18, 2023, when Nugent allegedly became enraged after Shayson, recovering from a bout of COVID, fell asleep during a team video review. The coach is charged with multiple counts of felony assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and menacing. Although Nugent has been released on supervised release, the U.S. Department of Education has not confirmed his current employment status.
Reached by phone, Nugent commented: “I’m shocked by the phone call to find out it’s a news thing… That’s why we’re going to trial, because I’m all about defending my freedom. I’m all about defending my rights.”
The U.S. Department of Education’s spokesperson. Jenna Lyle, responded: “The safety of our students is our number one priority. We will review the lawsuit.”
According to the lawsuit, Shayson was having trouble staying awake during the after-school session and was dismissed by Nugent. The coach then allegedly followed Shayson into the hallway, where he slammed the teenager into a wall multiple times and pushed him into a metal pole. Shayson reportedly returned to the classroom with blood pouring from his head and Nugent in pursuit, causing him to lose consciousness.
When Deslyn Willock arrived at the school, she found her son bleeding and administrators claimed he had fallen during an argument. Despite the proximity of an emergency room, she arrived before an ambulance and witnessed her son lying injured. Shayson received six staples for his head injuries, was diagnosed with a concussion, and has not returned to football.
MRls later indicated possible brain contusion and spinal damage, with lawyer Richard Kenny noting: “He has a compromised cervical region with multiple herniations,” which is highly unusual for someone his age.
Willock had to take a leave from work to care for Shayson, who was out of school for a month and endured significant pain.
Although Shayson has switched schools, he expressed doubt about returning to sports, stating: “I just didn’t like football anymore… I didn’t know if it was gonna happen again.”
His mother added: “He feels like everything was taken away from him. As a mother, I would love for him to play football one day again.”
