WACO, Texas (AP) Fired Baylor coach Art Briles has withdrawn a demand for new lawyers in a federal civil rights lawsuit against him and the university amid reports he has settled a contract dispute with the school.
Briles’ lawyers had told a federal court Thursday he wanted attorneys separate from Baylor and had no intention of settling the lawsuit filed by a woman who was raped by a Baylor football player. The filing suggested a bitter court fight was brewing between Baylor and the coach who claimed his May 26 firing was wrongful termination.
Briles withdrew the motion Friday as multiple media outlets cited anonymous sources in reporting Briles and Baylor had reached a settlement on his contract, which ran through 2023. According to USA Today’s coaches’ salary database, Briles made $4.2 million in 2015. Baylor, a private school, has not disclosed contract details.
A Baylor spokeswoman declined comment. Briles’ attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
Baylor fired Briles after an investigation found the school mishandled sex assault allegations for years, including some made against football players.
As part of their initial court motion, Briles’ attorneys released a letter he sent Baylor lawyers accusing the school of using him as a scapegoat for the administration’s failings to enforce federal rules against gender discrimination. Briles’ attorney demanded the school give him all files related to the Title IX lawsuit that lists Briles and Baylor as co-defendants.
He also demanded all information Baylor provided to the Pepper Hamilton law firm that conducted the investigation that resulted in his firing.
Baylor publicly released a 13-page finding of fact that had accused football coaches and staff with interfering with investigations into sexual assault complaints against players, and even impeding potential criminal proceedings. But the report did not identify Briles or any coach by name and Briles remains the only coach to be fired. All of his former assistants, including his son, Kendal Briles, and son-in-law Jeff Lebby, remain on staff.
Briles has complained that he was not allowed to see the evidence used to fire him.
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