Rosenberg claims wrongful termination by Linfield
Coach threatens to sue Linfield
A letter sent to Linfield University and obtained by the News-Register states that suspended men’s basketball coach Shanan Rosenberg is threatening to sue the university for an “unwarranted and spiteful termination.”
According to the letter, sent to the school by Rosenberg’s attorney, Craig A. Crispin, Rosenberg is “willing to entertain” returning to his position “under appropriate circumstances.”
If he does not return, he would seek damages of approximately $2.5 million and is giving the school until March 20 to decide on a proposed settlement before taking “appropriate formal action.” Rosenberg was suspended by the university following a verbal altercation with a fan during the season finale at Whitman. The fan was heckling Rosenberg to put the seniors in late in the game, and Rosenberg reportedly responded with a comment along the lines of “let’s talk after the game.”
While many are saying the coach meant no harm by that comment, Dr. Garry Killgore, Linfield’s Director of Athletics, gave Rosenberg 21 days to decide between a proposed severance agreement or termination.
Linfield spokesman Scott Nelson said Thursday that after reviewing the incident, “the university determined his actions did not meet the standards of professionalism and sportsmanship that had been communicated to him, and which are expected of our coaching staff.”
Many players and parents wrote letters of support for Rosenberg and tried to speak with Killgore after his meeting with Rosenberg on Friday, Feb. 24, but were told he could not speak on a “personnel matter.”
The group was able to speak about their concerns with University President Miles K. Davis after leaving the athletic building. There was a team meeting on March 1 with Davis and Killgore, but many left unsatisfied that they weren’t able to properly voice their concerns. The letter states that Rosenberg denies Linfield’s proposed severance offer. The university would not confirm if Rosenberg was still employed by the university at press time.
The letter vehemently denies university claims that Rosenberg racially discriminated against Black players.
Comments
jane
Here's some more info from the Oregonian. It is a shame what Linfield has become. Their vengeful actions (making calls to stir things up and create retroactive reasons for a firing) are an embarrassment to the University and the community. I was thinking Killgore needed to go. But at this point I am thinking Davis needs to go too. How many other lawsuits does Linfield need to get hit with before the board tries to right the sinking ship?
jane
https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2023/03/linfields-suspended-basketball-coach-tells-university-hell-sue-if-he-cant-get-his-job-back.html?outputType=amp
tagup
While termination seems like an over reaction to one isolated incident, I haven’t seen any information stating that this was a first offense. If the coach had previous issues that have been documented, maybe this decision makes sense.
I think you must admit that having the head coach call out spectators to meet him in the parking lot (during a game), shows extremely poor judgment and is a pretty big red flag. If litigation against the University is your concern, consider the liability for the school if the heckler had accepted the challenge.
Joel R
I think there is probably a lot more to this story than we are getting through these couple of articles in the NR. it will probably all come out in court.
And if Coach Rosenberger really did challenge the fan to meet him in the parking lot after the game? (as someone in the comments of a previous article said) Um...how can I put this nicely... maybe like this: having been to a few Linfield basketball games and having seen the coach, I don't believe he would have had the physical ability to deal very effectively with a confrontation in a parking lot.
As I think about it, maybe that lends some weight to the notion that he didn't make such a comment?
tagup
Joel- The Oregonian story reports the existence of a video that shows an angry confrontation for more than a minute where the coach does indeed challenge the heckler to meet him outside after the game….the coaches ability to prevail in a physical confrontation is irrelevant.
spicy_t
Yet another unfortunate occassion of helicopter parents sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. First the vball parents a few years back and now this. Employing an egotistical AD doesn’t help the cause at all.
Lulu
Jane is 100% correct.
The good ol' boys win yet again.
MR. S
imagine spending 2.5 million dollars on an apology. You can either apologize or pay up.
It's almost as if money is meaningless these days.