College Faces Discrimination Lawsuit from Athlete with Down Syndrome

In 2021, Caden Cox made history as the first college football player with Down syndrome to play in an official game and score. However, Cox is now taking legal action against his former school, Hocking College, alleging that staff members discriminated against him.

Incident Details

Caden Cox was celebrated as the first college football player with Down syndrome to play in an official game and score.

But in a lawsuit, Cox accuses his former supervisor of "persistent derogatory, discriminatory, and abusive verbal harassment." https://t.co/qfKKqRBOaU

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 15, 2023

Mari Cox, Caden’s mother, has filed a lawsuit against her son’s former supervisor, Matthew Kmosko, stating that he “persistent derogatory, discriminatory, and abusive verbal harassment.” 

Cox worked at the Student Recreation Center of an Ohio community college and Kmosko was the former coordinator of the center and soccer coach. Cox had reported complaints to the school about Kmosko’s inappropriate behavior. He alleged that Kmosko held him “at knifepoint in a campus bathroom during his work shift” in May 2022.

The lawsuit includes Hocking College President Betty Young and the school’s board of directors as defendants, claiming they ignored the complaints and retaliated against Cox.

Kmosko had a documented history of being prone to violent behavior, and the school failed to conduct a thorough background check before hiring him, according to the suit. Additionally, he was given poor performance reviews and had three other student employees file harassment complaints against him.

The plaintiff’s complaint further alleges that the school was negligent in their hiring process and had failed to take adequate measures to protect their students from the potential risk posed by Kmosko.

A former employee accused Kmosko of sending inappropriate messages about his prior sexual experiences and illicit drug use. Additionally, Kmosko was alleged to have used a derogatory term to refer to a disabled person.

Multiple Offenses

Cox claims that Kmosko insulted him, belittled his competence, and harshly criticized him, often in front of other people. “On several occasions, he took Plaintiff’s phone and looked through it without permission,” the suit stated. “He asked Plaintiff to give him hugs. There were also instances in which he would stare at him menacingly and send aggressive text messages.”

Cox’s lawyers presented evidence that included his prior complaints to the college. Additionally, they asserted that security footage shows Kmosko entering and exiting a bathroom with a knife. Cox alleges that Kmosko “physically blocked the exit, and began to scream at him that he told him to change the trash while pointing a black-handled, silver knife at Plaintiff’s chest.”

After the incident, Cox’s family contacted the police and Kmosko was eventually found guilty of menacing. Despite this, Kmosko was not removed from his role at the school immediately. Kmosko resigned more than a week later and was prohibited from entering the campus.

The lawsuit claims that after Cox expressed his issues with Kmosko, Young took away two awards that Cox was set to receive at his graduation.

The Cox family has accused the defendants of multiple offenses, including disability discrimination, disability retaliation, assault, and more. They are asking for a jury trial and compensation and punitive damages to be determined by the court.

Hocking College has yet to respond to the allegations.

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