Tufts, Navy SEAL Faulted for Workout Hospitalizations

An independent report has revealed that a workout led by a Navy SEAL at Tufts University resulted in nine student athletes being hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis due to a lack of proper credentials to supervise group exercises. The intense workout, involving about 250 burpees over 75 minutes, was not disclosed in advance to participants, leading to 24 cases of the condition among 61 participants. The report criticized the SEAL's unfamiliarity with NCAA and Tufts guidelines and identified a failure by the university to have procedures for vetting third-party instructors. It recommended stricter protocols for future workouts to prevent similar incidents. The workout was organized by the Tufts Director of Sports Performance, who did not share the plan with other athletics staff in time. The SEAL, a recent Tufts graduate and former team equipment manager, declined to participate in the investigation.