((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))
For those of you new to this ballgame...
Anyone who covered Tennessee Volunteer athletics over the last three-and-a-half DECADES knows Debby Jennings. She was a pioneer at the school and in the posititons she held- which, eventually, led to a Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations responsibility.
In May, she was "retiring" from the posititon. Now, it has come to light that:
1) Jennings is in the process of suing the school for "unlawful discrimination and retaliation." She wants a trial by jury, monetary relief, and injunctive relief.
2) Through her attorney David Burkhalter, Jennings is also asking for a court order to require UT Athletic Director Dave Hart and and unnamed amount of others involved with the program to undergo "appropriate diversity and ethics training."
One of the affidavits in the case backing Jennings comes from UT head women's basketball coach emeritus Pat Summitt. Summitt's paperwork claims that she was initially forced out as head coach when the public perception was that she was stepping aside after her initial diagnosis of early-onset dementia.
From the affidavit concerning a meeting with Hart on March 14:
"During this one-on-one meeting, Dave Hart indicated to me that I would not be coaching the Lady Vol Basketball Team in the next school year and he planned to name Holly Warlick as the head coach. Dave Hart told me I would still have an office in Thompson-Boling Arena and my title could be Head Coach Emeritus. This was very surprising to me and very hurtful as that was a decision I would have liked to have made on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my family, doctors, colleagues, and friends and not be told this by Mr. Hart. I felt it was wrong."
But, later in the affidavit claims that in a subsequent meeting with Hart, he claimed that Summitt misinterpreted his remarks from the first meeting.
Here's the early story on the Jennings lawsuit...
The HQ is certain that this is far from over...
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