HARTFORD -- Former UConn men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie is alleging that his firing was racially motivated.
Ollie says in court documents filed Tuesday in federal court that he was treated differently from former coach Jim Calhoun, who wasn't fired despite incurring recruiting violations. Ollie says that the university has illegally tried to deter him from filing a racial discrimination complaint.
In the paperwork filed Monday, says:
Defendant is unlawfully relying on a provision in a collective bargaining agreement to deter Plaintiff from filing a complaint of race discrimination with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (“CHRO”) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), or in a judicial forum, including the federal courts.
UConn fired Ollie in March with cause, allowing the school to forgo paying him $10 million left on his contract. Ollie was accused of providing misleading information about video calls to a recruit from former UConn stars, Ray Allen and Rudy Gay.
UConn's spokesperson, Stephanie Reitz released the following statement:
“As UConn has stated from the outset, the university terminated Kevin Ollie’s employment due to violations of NCAA rules, pursuant to his employment agreement. Any claim to the contrary is without merit.”
You read the full lawsuit below: