Ex-coach Peters sues Pitt, alleges racial bias in firing
http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/20216
waited almost a year and a half to do this???
http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/20216
waited almost a year and a half to do this???
Ex-coach Peters sues Pitt, alleges racial bias in firing
- Thread starter d-1980
- Start date
Well, he was AA for the whole 16 years that he was at Pitt. His race didn’t change.
I think everyone can agree the silence on the administration part didn’t help matters. The only thing we know is three very dumb/naïve Pitt wrestlers (ages 22, 19, and 19) went out of their way to hire three females into their room as a “joke.” They then compounded their idiocy by calling police to their room in an effort to get their money back. Then… Jason Peters was fired.
I’m sure the silence was to try to protect the above mentioned dumb/naïve parties involved (although they are NOT minors anymore), and to get the publicity to die down as fast as possible, but none of us know what Jason Peters role in this was.
I doubt it was racial, but I do not doubt this event was used as an excuse to get rid of him for other reasons – perhaps just personality. It wasn't performance because he just won the ACC the year before.
Pitt better have a paper trail that details their rational for firing him because if Jason Peters was not involved in the “joke” or in some kind of lie to cover the event up from administration, Barnes may have cost Pitt a few more million in stupidity.
And as an aside…
When did Pitt Wrestlers start giving the football team a run for their money in criminality? Between this and the domestic violence...someone better hold a team meeting and let them know this isn’t Happy Valley and there isn’t a Paterno that runs the media and police department.
I’m sure the silence was to try to protect the above mentioned dumb/naïve parties involved (although they are NOT minors anymore), and to get the publicity to die down as fast as possible, but none of us know what Jason Peters role in this was.
I doubt it was racial, but I do not doubt this event was used as an excuse to get rid of him for other reasons – perhaps just personality. It wasn't performance because he just won the ACC the year before.
Pitt better have a paper trail that details their rational for firing him because if Jason Peters was not involved in the “joke” or in some kind of lie to cover the event up from administration, Barnes may have cost Pitt a few more million in stupidity.
And as an aside…
When did Pitt Wrestlers start giving the football team a run for their money in criminality? Between this and the domestic violence...someone better hold a team meeting and let them know this isn’t Happy Valley and there isn’t a Paterno that runs the media and police department.
Another article I read suggested the complaint was just filed on Monday, June 4th. I had not heard of it until yesterday. I am not privy to details of this matter, other than what has been reported.
Honestly, I did not know Peters was African American. Am I alone on that?
Honestly, I did not know Peters was African American. Am I alone on that?
Pitt had cause to fire him, his wrestlers caused bad PR for Pitt, and someone had to be held responsible for that. I am not much for betting but I would wager that this case goes nowhere. He might get paid to go away if the university doesn't have the backbone to fight but that is all I expect from this.
This has definitely been going on since last year after he was fired. Maybe something was officially filed by his attorney.
Had cause...wrestlers caused bad PR??
How much publicity would there have been if Pitt had not fired him? Answer: probably none. It was the firing that brought attention to the matter …and on a national level at that.
Rande wasn’t fired when a couple of his guys were arrested for assault and domestic violence. (not that he should have)
Narduzzi was not even reprimanded for the assaults and drunk driving arrests of his players. Wannstedt had a national magazine article dedicated to the amount of criminality with his teams. He didn’t get fired until people became frustrated with his losses.
None of the Pitt wrestlers was even charged with a crime let alone what happened with the football team or Rande's guys.
I have no inside information, but reading the tea leaves, I would bet Peters became a "difficult personality" because he demanded more support from an athletic department that was used to Rande. This incident gave the Athletic Department an excuse.
Now that Lyke is there with a new attitude and expectations for the Pitt Wrestling program, Peters demands might not seem so unreasonable in 2018. It is Lyke's new attitude towards the non-revenue sports is what is benefiting Gavin and Co.
If anyone has any real inside information, I am happy to be proved wrong. Until then, I still think Barnes is going to cost Pitt more money. By the way...does anyone know if Barnes contract was extended after his first year?
How much publicity would there have been if Pitt had not fired him? Answer: probably none. It was the firing that brought attention to the matter …and on a national level at that.
Rande wasn’t fired when a couple of his guys were arrested for assault and domestic violence. (not that he should have)
Narduzzi was not even reprimanded for the assaults and drunk driving arrests of his players. Wannstedt had a national magazine article dedicated to the amount of criminality with his teams. He didn’t get fired until people became frustrated with his losses.
None of the Pitt wrestlers was even charged with a crime let alone what happened with the football team or Rande's guys.
I have no inside information, but reading the tea leaves, I would bet Peters became a "difficult personality" because he demanded more support from an athletic department that was used to Rande. This incident gave the Athletic Department an excuse.
Now that Lyke is there with a new attitude and expectations for the Pitt Wrestling program, Peters demands might not seem so unreasonable in 2018. It is Lyke's new attitude towards the non-revenue sports is what is benefiting Gavin and Co.
If anyone has any real inside information, I am happy to be proved wrong. Until then, I still think Barnes is going to cost Pitt more money. By the way...does anyone know if Barnes contract was extended after his first year?
It is my understanding that Jason did not tell the administrators about the event in Illinois. They eventually found out from another source and that was the “cause”. Same reason J Robinson lost his job at Minnesota. Jason was a huge problem for the University, but once he was hired there was no turning back because they knew he would resort to this.
I think the issue was that he knew about the incident, but did not report it to the admin. So - it's not really like the other issues you mention, but more that he wasn't upfront, etc.
I have no idea if he was difficult or not, but I do talk to him a bit and in the few conversations we had about Pitt, he was not very complimentary of Banres, et al, AT ALL, which wasn't surprising.
I knew him from practically day one and never heard him have a nice thing to say about anyone, unless it was a recruit he was recruiting and then he was a genius for recruiting such a great recruit. An administrator told me that early on Jason came to him and asked what the plan of succession was for Rande’s job. He spent his ten years under Coach trying to push him out of his job- bad mouthing him to the young people in the administration that didn’t know better.
Yeesh - I didn’t know he was that bad. My exposure to him on a personal level is more recent and he’s definitely got a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
You get a 180 day to file a charge of discrimination—that starts the Federal action for an employment matter. There is supposed to be an investigation and usually mediation of the matter, which both take a while. Assuming the parties are not going to agree, the hope of the plaintiff is to get a “right to sue” letter. The timing of this lawsuit is about right. Pitt should defend (appears it has).
He was a lousy coach. That is the bottom line. He recruited a first class that was great on paper and not one of them lived up to expectations except perhaps Solomon. 1 our of 5 doesn’t cut it. His remaining classes went downhill fast. Can anyone name a wrestler who really improved under his coaching?
