Kirk and Brian Ferentz, Gary Barta, Chris Doyle dropped from racial discrimination lawsuit

[cigaretteman]

More defendants have be dropped from a federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination within the Iowa Hawkeye football program.

Kirk Ferentz, Brian Ferentz, Gary Barta and Chris Doyle have been dropped from the suit, filed by former Hawkeye Akrum Wadley and a dozen others.

The call for dismissal was made Monday, however the case is still open again the University of Iowa and the Board of Regents.

This comes just days after another Hawkeye coaching staff member, Seth Wallace, was dropped from the lawsuit.

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The suit alleges Kirk Ferentz "witnessed, tolerated, and enabled most, if not all, instances of race discrimination against African Americans."

Back in 2020 Ferentz admitted to failing to make necessary and effective changes to correct the culture of "racial or cultural biases" against African American players.

Since the initial suit was filed, a federal judge has thrown out several portions of the suit, while allowing others to proceed. In 2021, Federal Judge Stephanie Rose released Athletic Director Gary Barta and Strength Coach Raimond Braithwaite as defendants. Judge Rose also tossed out claims that Ferentz failed to train and supervise his staff, and that his program created and maintained a systemic pattern and practice of unlawful race discrimination.

The dismissal means the plaintiff can still re-file charges, alter the claim, or bring the case to another court.

Many portions of the case remain under seal, keeping much of the information about the current status, for now, from public view.

Iowa football discrimination lawsuit: What the latest dismissals mean for Kirk and Brian Ferentz, Chris Doyle

Could a settlement in the lawsuit be near? Or is something else going on? Looking at the possibilities of what happens next.

www.press-citizen.com

 

[Thunderlips71]

 

[ThorneStockton]

One can't help but wonder if this would have happened a few months ago, could Brian have found a face saving exit to assistant/analyst in the NFL?

 

[cigaretteman]

Tom Newkirk, a Des Moines-based civil rights lawyer and specialist in implicit bias, offered valuable perspective in an interview Tuesday morning with the Des Moines Register.

“The dismissal of individual defendants in a case like this could mean that the law simply does not support the continued action against individuals, even though the overriding case against the state or university of Board of Regents is perfectly valid,” Newkirk said. “Or it means that there is an anticipated (settlement) resolution of the claims by removal of individuals from the lawsuit.

Newkirk successfully sued the University of Iowa and fetched a $6.5 million payout for clients Jane Meyer and Tracey Griesbaum after a jury trial surrounding the 2014 firing of Griesbaum as field hockey coach was brought. That ordeal brought Barta, the Ferentzes and other prominent Iowa coaches to the witness stand. This federal lawsuit, which was brought in Polk County in November 2020, has placed a lot of negative public pressure on Doyle and the Ferentzes for two-plus years. But they also don’t want to admit wrongdoing, Newkirk said, by settling the case. Now that they are off the case, the power to settle rests with the University of Iowa and Board of Regents.

Iowa football discrimination lawsuit: What the latest dismissals mean for Kirk and Brian Ferentz, Chris Doyle

Could a settlement in the lawsuit be near? Or is something else going on? Looking at the possibilities of what happens next.

www.press-citizen.com

 

[Colonoscopy]

I always figured if there was anything too damning it would have leaked by now in one way or another.

 

[hawkeye54545]

I think Kirk and Brian are guilty of having no clue how to execute an offense. I don't think they are remotely guilty of being racist.

 

[mnole03]

OP missed the opportunity to say punted.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

One can't help but wonder if this would have happened a few months ago, could Brian have found a face saving exit to assistant/analyst in the NFL?

No. The stink will always be there. It’s why his parents are desperately trying to get him installed as Iowa’s HC.

Now with the national spotlight on him for sucking and nepotism his career is over. Unless he wants to go prove himself at FCS or at best MAC level.

 

[torbee]

“The dismissal of individual defendants in a case like this could mean that the law simply does not support the continued action against individuals, even though the overriding case against the state or university of Board of Regents is perfectly valid,” Newkirk said.

What the f--- is that supposed to mean?

How can it be valid if none of the people alleged to have been discriminatory are deemed responsible?

Asinine.

 

[cigaretteman]

“What happens is if you name an individual or multiple individuals is that you give power to those individuals to refuse to settle or resolve,” Newkirk said. “If I’m Kirk Ferentz, and I have to approve a settlement while I’m still a named defendant, I’m not going to do that when I know that I didn’t discriminate against African-Americans, for example.
“Chris Doyle, even though he may have done some things that are inappropriate, even he’s not going to admit that he is racist or discriminates, so why would he agree to settle? That’s one reason the individuals might be dismissed in this case.”

 

[cigaretteman]

A potential settlement could already be in the works, but that isn’t necessarily what’s going on − even if that’s a very high likelihood. By dismissing the four defendants “without prejudice,” Tulsa-based attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons and his team could still attempt to bring any of them back into the lawsuit.

“Two reasons they could be added back,” Newkirk said, “are that a) the law shifts in a way that they feel more confident that they could bring an individual; or b), if a resolution doesn’t go through that they were hoping for.”

One of the stated wishes from the seven remaining football players suing the university − Darian Cooper, Javon Foy, Marcel Joly, Aaron Mends, Jonathan Parker, Brandon Simon and Akrum Wadley − was that Iowa put systems in place to guard against future incidents of racial bias (implicit or overt) within the university and the football program.

 

[TJ8869]

I think my favorite theme throughout this whole saga has been the notion that not allowing players to wear hats and tank tops during team meetings is implicitly racist. As if comporting yourself with dignity and acting like a professional is exclusively a white construct.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

Who is Javon Foy? I'm not sure I have ever heard of him.

 

[TJ8869]

Who is Javon Foy? I'm not sure I have ever heard of him.

He was a wide receiver from Moline. He arrived at Iowa as a preferred walkon in the same class with Quinn Schulte, Nick DeJong, and Kyler Fisher. Not sure where he ended up.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Well, there we go boys. That should be just the ticket for Brian getting swooped away by the NFL....

 

[Jimmy McGill]

A bunch of never was players and Wadley.

My guess is that the firm realized 1) they couldn't prove the case; and or / how do you prove damages for never have been players. At the end of the day the firm is fronting all costs, so if it doesn't look like they are going to win and they don't get their third.....

But in reality, I think Ferentz family is paying out non-disclosed settlement.

 

[ANYCHawk]

One can't help but wonder if this would have happened a few months ago, could Brian have found a face saving exit to assistant/analyst in the NFL?

It didn't play a part

 

[ANYCHawk]

What the f--- is that supposed to mean?

How can it be valid if none of the people alleged to have been discriminatory are deemed responsible?

Asinine.

Legal concept. Same as when individual police are dropped from a lawuit, but the suit against the department continues

 

[WadeLookingbill]

“What happens is if you name an individual or multiple individuals is that you give power to those individuals to refuse to settle or resolve,” Newkirk said. “If I’m Kirk Ferentz, and I have to approve a settlement while I’m still a named defendant, I’m not going to do that when I know that I didn’t discriminate against African-Americans, for example.
“Chris Doyle, even though he may have done some things that are inappropriate, even he’s not going to admit that he is racist or discriminates, so why would he agree to settle? That’s one reason the individuals might be dismissed in this case.”

This is the only explanation that makes sense as to the dismissals without prejudice at this point. The scenario is the BoR and UI feel comfortable with a proposed settlement, as well as the Plaintiffs, but the named individuals will not sign off. So, you dismiss the named individuals, and the remaining parties can settle.

The odds of re-filing against the named defendants who were dismissed without prejudice is quite low, so they are comfortable not being part of the settlement and still having some level of risk out there.

 

[QChawks]

fire them all anyway 😎

 

[JRHawk2003]

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

A bunch of never was players and Wadley.

My guess is that the firm realized 1) they couldn't prove the case; and or / how do you prove damages for never have been players. At the end of the day the firm is fronting all costs, so if it doesn't look like they are going to win and they don't get their third.....

But in reality, I think Ferentz family is paying out non-disclosed settlement.

Or maybe they finally figured out that Wadley and his mother was still trying to get Iowa to offer his brother a couple of months before the lawsuits.

 

[JupiterHawk]

Wadley could have landed well at Iowa. Talk about burning a bridge. I don't even enjoy the highlight clips the guy is in.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

Wadley could have landed well at Iowa. Talk about burning a bridge. I don't even enjoy the highlight clips the guy is in.

Not even the one where the touchdown was called back because of his hot-dogging?

 

[swagsurfer02]

So……we bringing back Chris Doyle or nah?

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

So……we bringing back Chris Doyle or nah?

Nah. Should have been fired after the rhabdo incident.

 

[beanerhawk]

It didn't play a part

Out of curiosity what was it if that didn't play a part?

 

[ANYCHawk]

Out of curiosity what was it if that didn't play a part?

The lawsuit.

If an NFL team wanted BF they would hire him. Noone outside of Iowa knows or cares about it. And most would just assume its frivolous. Iowa fans who believe a lawsuit stopped an NFL team think a bit too much about the Hawkeye influence outside of I-80

 

[cigaretteman]

The lawsuit.

If an NFL team wanted BF they would hire him. Noone outside of Iowa knows or cares about it. And most would just assume its frivolous. Iowa fans who believe a lawsuit stopped an NFL team think a bit too much about the Hawkeye influence outside of I-80

Wasn't Doyle forced to resign from the Jaguars?

 

[anon_b29nm7v7dwp6r]

I have no comment on the racial portion…but Jonathan Parker….there is a name I haven’t thought about in a while….he had/still has the single DUMBEST play I have ever seen at any level of football, JV to the NFL, in the Hawkslayer bowl when he just tossed the ball back in bounds for TN on the kick return.

 

[ANYCHawk]

Wasn't Doyle forced to resign from the Jaguars?

it wasn't cause of the lawsuit.

It was cause he was fired for being a racist dick and hired like two weeks later.

 

[McLovin32]

I think my favorite theme throughout this whole saga has been the notion that not allowing players to wear hats and tank tops during team meetings is implicitly racist. As if comporting yourself with dignity and acting like a professional is exclusively a white construct.

I don't know, the whole Wadley and his steak thing always makes me chuckle when I think of it.

 

[lucas80]

I think my favorite theme throughout this whole saga has been the notion that not allowing players to wear hats and tank tops during team meetings is implicitly racist. As if comporting yourself with dignity and acting like a professional is exclusively a white construct.

It's interesting that you fixate on that, and assign what is proper comportment and professional behavior. It's almost like you are the actual victim because everything is against the whites in America these days.
We are talking about 18-23 year old kids, in a sport disproportionately played by African Americans, in team meetings, and why some attire was deemed inappropriate, and similar clothing okay.
Bottom line, Iowa had some issues, and Kirk/Iowa made some changes after publicly admitting they had some issues.

 

[evander03]

it wasn't cause of the lawsuit.

It was cause he was fired for being a racist dick and hired like two weeks later.

Closer to 6 months later.

 

[ANYCHawk]

Closer to 6 months later.

Hyperbole, how does it work?