A California teen is suing his school, alleging that he suffered brain damage in a football hazing ritual, reports say

• A teen football player suffered brain damage from a hazing game at his high school, a lawsuit says.
• Attorneys for the teen sued Mater Dei High School for damages on Tuesday, according to reports.

A California teen filed a lawsuit against his school claiming to have suffered brain damage from a football hazing ritual, according to court filings obtained by the Los Angeles Times and NBC News.

The teen, who was not named but was born in 2004, attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and had signed on to the 2021 football program as a junior, the outlets said.

However, the teen was badly injured during a hazing event held in the freshman locker room on February 4, the lawsuit said.

The teen engaged in a fighting game known as "Bodies," where two people fight until one "can't take it anymore," the lawsuit said, according to the outlets.

The teen was hit in the head and face by the other player and was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and underwent surgery on his nose in hospital, the outlets reported, citing the suit.

The teen has since experienced severe pain, slurred speech, and cognitive dysfunction, according to the lawsuit.

On Tuesday, attorneys representing the teenager filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court, naming as defendants Mater Dei High and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, which oversees the school.

Insider sought comment from the school but did not immediately receive a reply.

The lawsuit says that Mater Dei staff didn't intervene to help after the fight ended, despite evidence that he was bleeding.

A video of the fight obtained by the teen's family shows that onlooking players shouted racial slurs at the teen, telling his opponent to "get that N word," the lawsuit said. The plaintiff is reportedly white.

After the fight ended, the plaintiff was told "not to snitch," according to the lawsuit, and he later told other members of staff that he had actually hit his face on a bathroom sink.

The player's father then arrived at the school and took the teen to a hospital for urgent care, the outlets said.

Rev. Walter E. Jenkins, the president of Mater Dei, addressed the issue in a letter to students Wednesday night.

"As many of you may have seen, recent media coverage references deeply disturbing accusations about our football program and administration," Jenkins wrote.

"It pains me to hear about any student suffering harm of any kind on our campus. My heartfelt prayers go out to the affected student and family."