Filed under: Texas Tech, Coaching, Media Watch, Sports Business and Media
Former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach gave ESPN an unpleasant Thanksgiving greeting on Wednesday, filing a lawsuit in Texas district court that accuses the sports-media giant of "willful and negligent defamation" of Leach in its coverage of the events leading up to and following the coach's firing late last year. Leach was terminated last Dec. 30 in the wake of accusations that he mistreated injured wide receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN college football commentator Craig James. Among other allegations, Leach reportedly ordered Adam, who was recovering from a concussion, to stand alone in a dark closet on two occasions during the 2009 season. James shot video of his confinement, and the controversy came to a head when the footage was posted online.
Leach's lawsuit also names Spaeth Communications, a Dallas public-relations firm that Craig James hired when his son's complaints about Leach went public. The suit claims that Spaeth, which orchestrated the "Swift Boat" campaign against 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, played a central role in leaking the video footage and accuses the firm of "creating public opinion hostile to Leach."
In an email to FanHouse, an ESPN spokesman said the company has "not seen the lawsuit and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment." Spaeth did not return calls or emails seeking comment. Rebecca Shaw, the firm's executive vice president, told the Associated Press that Leach's suit is "the predictable strategy of a man who is desperate to avoid accountability for his own behavior."
Ted Liggett, Leach's attorney, said the 49-year-old former coach simply wants to clear his name. "His reputation has taken a severe hit and been tarnished," Liggett told the Associated Press. "On a daily basis we're still seeing stories across the country with accounts Leach claims are counter to the truth."
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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/24/mike-leach-sues-espn-for-defamation/
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