Ollie accuses UConn of violating his constitutional rights

Former UConn basketball Kevin Ollie has accused his old employer of violating his constitutional rights, according to an ESPN report.

In the April 3 letter to UConn president Susan Herbst, Ollie's legal team contends the school violated Ollie's 14th Amendment rights by "subverting Coach Ollie's opportunity to respond to charges and evidence in a meaningful way in advance of the decision to terminate his employment."

The 14th Amendment includes a due process clause. Ollie's team is accusing UConn of denying him due process as it attempts to terminate him for "just cause" and avoid paying over $10 million remaining on a contract that was due to expire in 2021.

The letter also states, "The public record, action taken, and authorized communications by representatives of the University of Connecticut, demonstrate that the decision to terminate Coach Ollie has already been made and therefore the University of Connecticut has effectively negated Coach Ollie's property right protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

With UConn the focus of an NCAA inquiry, the school used the term "just cause" in firing Ollie last month. While Ollie led UConn to an NCAA title in 2014, the program has slipped in recent years and the Huskies were 14-18 last season.

Ollie, as a member of the American Association of University Professors, countered that he was entitled to a letter that stated the reasons for the termination and to a hearing process. Ollie had a hearing with UConn athletic director David Benedict last week, when the school laid out its case for the firing.

Ollie's representatives were given a week to respond in writing. If Benedict upholds the decision, Ollie can appeal to Herbst and the case could be taken to arbitration if the UConn president sides with Benedict's decision.

On March 22, UConn hired former Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley as Ollie's replacement.

— New Haven Register (TNS)