haven't seen this anywhere else. mods please move if necessary. from espn's website: dorrance says he was joking. the school pays $70,000 (the suit was for #12 million) and dorrance has to write a letter of apology and attend sensitivity training for EIGHT years! jennings portion of the trial still to come. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- excerpts: "CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina will pay former soccer player Debbie Keller $70,000 and enroll women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance in sensitivity training as partial settlement of a 1998 sexual harassment lawsuit..... The settlement Tuesday calls for Dorrance to sign a letter to Keller that acknowledges he participated in discussions with his players about their sexual activities with men prior to June 1998. "While my participation in such discussions was in a jesting or teasing nature and was not intended to be offensive, I now realize that my comments offended Debbie Keller," the letter states. Dorrance also apologized to Keller, her family and any offended members of the team. For the next eight years, Dorrance must attend sensitivity training related to gender coaching, according to the settlement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- my read? 1.she wasn't hurt that much if she only got $70,000 - that's a pittance in these kinds of suits. 2. dorrance was very stupid. why he hasn't lost his job, (maybe he still will),i can't say. was it just an early to mid '90's male mistake? did mia and the others vouch for him? did they think he was just pulling their legs? thomas, pick up the phone please.
Dorrance must attend sensitivity training Here is the direct link to the article.. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=295066&cc=5901
I would hardly call this a "win". $70,000 is nothing in the grand scheme of things, and probably barely covers the legal bills. In fact a settlement out of court amounts to a no contest, with neither side coming out a winner. As to Dorrance, I would say his job is as safe as it ever was. There is nothing in the agreement that appears to make him seem any more than "jesting". While possibly inappropriate, not enough to get someone fired. If this case had gone to trial, there would probably be a line of former players around the block willing to testify in his favor. It appears Keller's side probably knew that, hence the low settlement amount. As to Jennings, I am willing to bet the Dorrance side has no intentions of settling this, since her claim, the weaker of the two, will most likely be thrown out.
The question, who is it a win for? Dorrance is freaking bulletproof (as is his hair) and Debbie Keller won't even be allowed even NEAR a soccer ball the rest of her life. Question is, are the Powers That Be in Women's Sports on this story? Women's Sports Foundation? ESPN? College Sports Television? Soccer America? The sheriff's department in and around Chapel Hill?