The football program at the University of Central Florida is on the rise; however, it has recently found itself in the middle of a lawsuit.
A former defensive coach for the team filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against UCF’s Board of Trustees and the UCF Athletics Association. The man feels he was wrongfully terminated from his position and that he was a victim of racial discrimination during his time working for the school.
The lawsuit was filed in late September and seeks damages greater than $15,000. While the coach says he was terminated, the school claims he resigned from his position.
The lawsuit added the following: “Some of the discriminatory remarks were uttered about Ferraro in his presence and concerned his Italian heritage. Specifically, O’Leary called Ferraro a ‘Guinea’.”
The man said O’Leary, the head coach of the UCF football team, also made other discriminatory remarks about those of Jewish and African American descent.
On the other side of the case, UCF issued a statement:
“UCF immediately investigated the allegations Mr. Ferraro made when he abruptly abandoned his job. The university’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office found the allegations to be untrue.”
This is a common occurrence after a wrongful termination lawsuit is filed, as the employer rarely comes to the forefront and admits any wrongdoing.
In the event that an employee feels that he or she was wrongfully terminated, they may begin to consider their options, including those from a legal perspective. Nobody should be fired without cause, and if this happens the end result may be a wrongful termination claim and subsequent lawsuit.
Source: Bright House Sports Network, “Ex-coach sues UCF for wrongful termination, claiming racism” Ryan Bass, Sep. 30, 2014
