Joseph Pruitt was a cross-country athlete who participated at Los Lunas High School. The team would use a school-furnished weight room with the understanding that the athletes would use a spotter for any free weights, benches, and/or machines. Pruitt was performing sit-ups, while holding a twenty-five-pound weight, on a bench without a spotter. After completing the exercise, Pruitt slipped while attempting to get off the bench, which caused the weight to fall onto, and crush, one of his fingers. After multiple surgeries, Pruitt filed suit, claiming that the defendants had an unwritten rule of not providing spotters for athletes completing exercises within the weight room.

约瑟夫·普鲁伊特（Joseph Pruitt）是一名越野运动员，曾参加Los Lunas高中。小组将使用学校布置的举重室，但应了解运动员会使用检举器举起任何自由重物，长凳和/或机器。普鲁伊特举着二十五磅重的东西，在没有去污剂的长凳上坐着仰卧起坐。完成练习后，Pruitt试图从板凳上滑落时滑倒，这使重物跌落并压伤了他的一根手指。经过多次手术后，Pruitt提起诉讼，声称被告有一条不成文的规则，即不得为在举重室内完成运动的运动员提供观察者。