Four months after Metro Pulse broke the story of former Lady Vols Sports Information Director Debby Jennings' consideration of legal action against the University of Tennessee, she has indeed filed suit, according to a court filing sent to Metro Pulse by her lawyer, David A. Burkhalter, II. Reporter Betty Bean gives us her analysis of the document:
The bombshell charge in former Lady Vols Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Debby Jennings' lawsuit against the University of Tennessee is this:
A month before Pat Summitt went to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal Of Freedom (the most prestigious of the dozens of honors conferred on her since her retirement), Athletics Director Dave Hart called her into his office and told her that her career was over. The suit also says that Hart delivered the news to the Naismith Coach of the Century the day before her team was scheduled to leave town to begin play in the NCAA Tournament.
"During Mr. Hart's meeting with Coach Summitt... Mr. Hart told (her) that she would not be coaching the Lady Vol basketball team the next school year (2012-'13) and he planned to name Holly Warlick as the head coach.... When Coach Summitt told Plaintiff of Mr. Hart's conversation Coach Summitt was very upset and extremely hurt. ... Coach Summitt also told others about Mr. Hart's decision, including her secretary, personal administrative assistant and a Lady Vol assistant basketball coach," the suit says.
Jennings, who worked for Summitt for 35 years and was one of the most decorated professionals in the sports information business, filed a 41-page employment discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging UT with creating a hostile work environment for women during the years that the university moved to combined the men's and women's athletics department. During the transition to a single AD, Jennings suit says that she watched with alarm as women were removed from positions of responsibility and replaced with men, who were often younger and less qualified.
Jennings' suit says Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development Chris Fuller told her not to bother applying for the job of director of communications in the new department "because UT-K's head football coach Derek Dooley did not want to work with a female."
The work environment became even more difficult in August 2011 when Summitt announced that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Jennings said.
"The Plaintiff was entrusted by the UTK hierarchy, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and Interim Vice Chancellor /Director of Athletics Joan Cronan, to conceptualize, prepare and initiate all facets of the press release announcement of Coach Pat Summitt's diagnosis... The Plaintiff was also entrusted with handling the avalanche of requests by the world media who immediately reacted to the biggest sports story ever to come out of the University of Tennessee," the suit says.
In the months that followed Summitt's announcement, Jennings' suit says she was increasingly isolated and her duties diminished and that in December 2011, Hart told her she was not part of his future plans.
"By the time she was forced to retire on May 15, 2012, (Jennings) had zero (employees reporting to her), no budgetary responsibilities and only limited media duties connected to Lady Vols basketball. Immediately after her forced retirement, her few remaining duties were assigned to a male."
The 41-page lawsuit asks for a jury trial, compensatory and liquidated damages and charges UT with a multitude of Title IX violations. It also asks for Hart, Fuller and Associate Athletics Director for Communications Jimmy Stanton to undergo diversity and ethics training.
The bombshell charge in former Lady Vols Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Debby Jennings' lawsuit against the University of Tennessee is this:
A month before Pat Summitt went to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal Of Freedom (the most prestigious of the dozens of honors conferred on her since her retirement), Athletics Director Dave Hart called her into his office and told her that her career was over. The suit also says that Hart delivered the news to the Naismith Coach of the Century the day before her team was scheduled to leave town to begin play in the NCAA Tournament.
"During Mr. Hart's meeting with Coach Summitt... Mr. Hart told (her) that she would not be coaching the Lady Vol basketball team the next school year (2012-'13) and he planned to name Holly Warlick as the head coach.... When Coach Summitt told Plaintiff of Mr. Hart's conversation Coach Summitt was very upset and extremely hurt. ... Coach Summitt also told others about Mr. Hart's decision, including her secretary, personal administrative assistant and a Lady Vol assistant basketball coach," the suit says.
Jennings, who worked for Summitt for 35 years and was one of the most decorated professionals in the sports information business, filed a 41-page employment discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging UT with creating a hostile work environment for women during the years that the university moved to combined the men's and women's athletics department. During the transition to a single AD, Jennings suit says that she watched with alarm as women were removed from positions of responsibility and replaced with men, who were often younger and less qualified.
Jennings' suit says Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development Chris Fuller told her not to bother applying for the job of director of communications in the new department "because UT-K's head football coach Derek Dooley did not want to work with a female."
The work environment became even more difficult in August 2011 when Summitt announced that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Jennings said.
"The Plaintiff was entrusted by the UTK hierarchy, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and Interim Vice Chancellor /Director of Athletics Joan Cronan, to conceptualize, prepare and initiate all facets of the press release announcement of Coach Pat Summitt's diagnosis... The Plaintiff was also entrusted with handling the avalanche of requests by the world media who immediately reacted to the biggest sports story ever to come out of the University of Tennessee," the suit says.
In the months that followed Summitt's announcement, Jennings' suit says she was increasingly isolated and her duties diminished and that in December 2011, Hart told her she was not part of his future plans.
"By the time she was forced to retire on May 15, 2012, (Jennings) had zero (employees reporting to her), no budgetary responsibilities and only limited media duties connected to Lady Vols basketball. Immediately after her forced retirement, her few remaining duties were assigned to a male."
The 41-page lawsuit asks for a jury trial, compensatory and liquidated damages and charges UT with a multitude of Title IX violations. It also asks for Hart, Fuller and Associate Athletics Director for Communications Jimmy Stanton to undergo diversity and ethics training.
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