Court sides with coach in college basketball defamation case
- During the 2020-2021 basketball season at Lenoir-Rhyne University, racial tensions arose within the women's basketball team, prompting discussions among coaches and players.
- Following allegations of racism and claims by player Fox that retaliation occurred, she organized symposiums addressing these issues, which led to her and other players being forced off the team.
- The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that the university's statements were not defamatory, closing the case in favor of the university.
In a decision delivered on December 3, 2024, the North Carolina Court of Appeals addressed a case involving Lenoir-Rhyne University and a former student-athlete, Fox. The case stemmed from events that transpired during the COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 basketball season, which saw heightened racial tensions within the women's basketball team. Following these tensions, Fox successfully organized symposiums that discussed racial prejudice, prompting allegations that the university's coaching staff retaliated against her and her teammates for voicing their concerns. As the basketball season ended, Fox and several of her teammates claimed that they were effectively forced off the team. Fox met with the coaching staff, who asserted that her fit within the team's culture was inadequate for her continued participation. Despite this, the coaches offered Fox a full scholarship for the subsequent season, which she accepted as a measure of goodwill, but ultimately it did not resolve the dispute around her departure from the team. After these events, Fox took to social media, publicly accusing the coaching staff and certain teammates of fostering a racist culture. In her posts, she made specific allegations regarding racism and claimed other athletes had left due to similar experiences. In response, Lenoir-Rhyne University's president released a statement publicly refuting Fox's claims, labeling them as False and maintaining that the accusations were unfounded. This back-and-forth escalated to a legal dispute where Fox sought redress through a defamation lawsuit against her former coaches and the university. The North Carolina Court of Appeals addressed the defamation claim by examining the president’s public statement. The court concluded that the statement made by Fredrick Whitt, the university president, was not libelous as a matter of law. The court also dismissed Fox's contract claims, agreeing that the university acted consistently with any expectations set forth in contracts. Following the court's decision, it became clear that the legal system did not recognize Fox's allegations as sufficient grounds for her claims of defamation and breach of contract against Lenoir-Rhyne University.