Luge athlete claims life-altering Whistler head injury was culmination of coach's 'selfish' abuse

An athlete who was left with a long list of "catastrophic" injuries after a run at the Olympic luge track in Whistler, B.C., more than three years ago has filed a lawsuit claiming the incident was the culmination of years of harassment, bullying and hazing by a coach who put his own goals over a teenager's safety.

Garrett Reid, now 19, has claimed coach Matthew McMurray was abusive towards him while he was racing for the national NextGen team in 2018 and 2019.

The lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court alleged the abuse ultimately led Reid to lose control on the fastest section of track at the Whistler Sliding Centre — on an altered sled in a helmet that should have been replaced — during a training run on Nov. 16, 2019.

"Garrett was bullied, abused and harassed constantly by his coach, Matthew McMurray, for years. We were told by Luge Canada to 'keep it in the luge family' and that McMurray would be supervised and dealt with. They did nothing," the family said in a statement Tuesday.

"We are bringing this action now because we want accountability, we want to expose the abuse and failures of Luge Canada in order to protect future athletes, and we want compensation for Garrett."

None of Reid's allegations have been proven. McMurray has not filed a response nor responded to CBC's request for comment.

Luge Canada, accused in the lawsuit of covering up abuse, has not responded in court but sent a brief statement.

"The health and safety of all of our athletes is Luge Canada's first priority. Garrett suffered an unfortunate accident in 2019, which has impacted us all in the luge community very profoundly," read an email.

"With the matter before the courts, we will reserve all further comments on the accident and the case to ensure we allow for due legal process to take place."

Replacement helmet allegedly denied after 2019 crash

Reid grew up in Whistler and started in luge when he was seven years old. The claim said he made the NextGen team at 15, joining the ranks of the country's "next generation of elite luge athletes" under coaches including McMurray.

Luge is widely known as the fastest sport in the Winter Olympics. Athletes ride a flat sled through a course on their back, feet first, approaching speeds of up to 140 km/h.

Early in 2019, Reid had a crash during the lead-up to the Junior World Luge Championship in Austria. The lawsuit said he asked for medical attention because his sled had flipped up and hit the right side of his head, but that McMurray refused and told Reid to "stop asking."

Medical imaging later revealed Reid had healed facial fractures, according to the lawsuit. The claim said his performance was diminished afterward and the alleged abuse got worse.

"McMurray heightened his verbal and psychological abuse," read the claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court.

"Garrett was subjected to daily bullying, humiliation, hazing, threats and intimidation by McMurray."

The lawsuit said Reid continued wearing his damaged helmet after the Austria crash because both McMurray and Luge Canada failed to give him a new one.

Sandpaper put on sled ahead of Whistler crash: lawsuit 

That November, Reid was training at the Whistler Sliding Centre when McMurray allegedly told Reid to add strips of sandpaper to his sled, one at a time, though he'd never done it before. Using sandpaper is a training technique to log faster run times by reducing a racer's control over their sled, the lawsuit alleged.

The day of the training run, Reid claimed McMurray added sandpaper to his sled and placed him at the men's starting position — the highest spot on the track — despite usual training protocol for racers to start lower on the track and work their way up.

The teenager lost control at corner 16, also known as "Thunderbird Corner," near the end of the run. The claim said he hit his head at the same point on his helmet as he had in the Austrian crash earlier in the year. 

Reid, then 16, was left with a long list of injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.

"McMurray's conduct leading up to the injury was an abuse of power and exploitation of the trust and psychological intimacy inherent to the relationship between a coach and a young athlete, particularly one intent on succeeding in a highly competitive sporting endeavour," read the claim filed last week.

"The selfish, high-handed and callous conduct of McMurray warrants condemnation through the court."

The lawsuit is claiming damages from McMurray for allegedly denying Reid medical care after Austria, adding sandpaper to his sled in Whistler and an overall pattern of abuse and mistreatment.

Luge Canada is being sued as McMurray's employer and for allegedly "silencing complainants, witnesses and/or whistleblowers" who tried to speak out against abusive treatment.

The lawsuit also claims Luge Canada buried documents showing "credible complaints" against McMurray because its leadership prioritized avoiding "scandal" over protecting its NextGen athletes.