Many factors surrounding lawsuit
Each side has points it believes are enough to win the hearing
Today former Nevada soccer coach Terri Patraw will try to get her job back. The University of Nevada, Reno will try to justify its actions for firing Patraw.
Patraw said she was fired Aug. 28 for reporting NCAA rule violations for other Nevada athletic programs.
Confusing aspects surround this case. Both Patraw and the University have certain complaints and allegations. After dismissal of the case was denied, the case could favor either side.
Patraw’s case
Lawyers for Patraw are saying that UNR must prove it didn’t fire Patraw for reporting NCAA violations, Title IX violations and sexual harassment.
Court documents show that Patraw complained about many things she said were not addressed by athletic department officials.
The main NCAA violations that Patraw said she reported involve men’s golf coach Rich Merritt.
Patraw said that Merritt gambled on college sports, took some players out to dinner if they played well, exceeded their per diem, placed bets with athletes, gave a frequent flyer airline ticket to a player to attend an event and bragged that nobody would find out.
Patraw also said that Groth and Merritt were golf buddies and good friends.
The Title IX violations stem from facility use.
She said her players were kicked off equipment by “male football players,” and that other “male football coaches” disrespected her time on the field by using it while her practices were in session.
That counts for part of her discriminatory treatment as well as the courtesy car situation, which she says male coaches have 16 compared to the women who have four.
The sexual harassment parts comes in with Patraw saying she was sexually harassed from an unmentioned person. She said she reported it to Director of Athletics Cary Groth and Nevada men’s basketball coach Mark Fox but they ignored her.
Patraw said she wasn’t given a clear reason for termination and that she was given mixed signals. She also said that Groth told employees that “Terri’s not your friend and she’s going to take us all down.”
Groth acknowledged that Patraw was a good coach, the winningest in Nevada history, but said she was a less than perfect employee. Court documents filed by Patraw added that “implying a perfect employee is one who turns a blind eye to illegalities affecting the quality of the program.”
Jeffrey Dickerson, Patraw’s lawyer, petitioned to not let UNR present any evidence of a complaint by former assistant men’s basketball coach Dedrique Taylor against Patraw, negative opinions of her performance, any interaction by Patraw with others since termination, her alleged resignations or the 60-day notice provision of a prior contract.
UNR’s case
Groth said when the case became public that she knew why she fired Patraw and it wasn’t because of what Patraw was accusing.
Court documents say that the financial restitution and giving Patraw’s job back will help with repairing her reputation.
UNR is arguing that she is not subject to any potential harm that is irreparable. If she wins her accusations, UNR argues that she should not get job reinstatement because UNR should not be forced to employ a coach it “lacks confidence in and who has demonstrated an inability to adhere to directives.”
Nevada hired Jaime Frias to replace Patraw after receiving permission from the courts to do so.
UNR’s argument against having Patraw reinstated is that it would take her a “lengthy period of time after that to establish a functioning soccer program.”
They also say that if Patraw were to win the case that the financial restitution should be enough to satisfy her and remove any harm.
UNR filed paperwork that Patraw was upset she was being paid less than Nevada softball coach Michelle Gardner, even though Patraw was more successful.
Groth and Associate Athletic Director Cindy Fox told Patraw to not compare wages to other coaches in the department, but Patraw would not stop bringing it up during wage negotiations, court documents said.
The hearing is slated for today and Wednesday inside the Joe Crowley Student Union.
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© 2008 The Nevada Sagebrush
