Summary of Investigators’ Report on the Men’s Lacrosse Workout
January 31, 2025
Dear AS&E community members,
As you know, this fall, following a workout overseen by a Tufts alum and recent graduate of the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program, multiple members of our men’s lacrosse team developed rhabdomyolysis, a potentially severe medical condition. Though we are pleased that all the students recovered and returned to normal activity, it is critical that we understand what led to this situation and to take steps to develop better and safer training practices for our student- athletes.
We are sharing with you today the executive summary of the independent investigation conducted by D. Rod Walters II, a nationally recognized expert in the care and prevention of student-athlete injuries, and Randy Aliment of the law firm Lewis Brisbois. Mr. Walters and Mr. Aliment were charged with determining exactly what happened before, during, and after the workout; assessing the university’s response; assessing our conditioning and training protocols; and reviewing our procedures and policies to determine what changes we should make to prevent this from happening again.
As you will read, over the past three months, Mr. Walters and Mr. Aliment have conducted a thorough investigation that included more than 60 interviews with students, parents, and Tufts employees. Additionally, they had access to all relevant materials except for those protected by applicable privacy laws, including HIPAA. We accept the report’s findings and will begin implementing the recommendations immediately with the goal of having enacted them by the beginning of the next academic year.
We would like to extend our sincere apologies to the members of the men’s lacrosse team, their families, and others affected by this situation. We know this has been a challenging time, and we are grateful for your patience and participation as the investigators did their work. We are confident that adopting the recommendations will result in a better and safer training environment for all of our student-athletes.
Sincerely,
Sunil Kumar
President
John Morris
Director of Athletics