Iowa depositions delayed until January
Iowa’s head coach, Kirk Ferentz, and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will not have to spend the team’s off week answering questions from lawyers for Black former players who say they suffered discrimination, a federal judge ruled.
U. S. Magistrate Judge Helen Adams granted a motion to quash subpoenas that had asked the longtime Hawkeyes coach and his son to appear for depositions Oct. 19-20. She said the depositions can be delayed until the football season is over in January, as the Ferentzes and lawyers for the university had requested.
The ruling came as No. 3 -ranked Iowa prepares to play host Saturday to No. 4 Penn State at Kinnick Stadium in a matchup of 5-0 teams.
Lawyers for seven former players sought to take the depositions as they advance claims of racial discrimination against the university, Brian Ferentz and the team’s former strength and conditioning coach, Chris Doyle. The players’ lawsuit is set to go to trial in March 2023.
The former players allege they were demeaned with racial slurs, forced to abandon Black hairstyles, fashion and culture to fit the “Iowa Way” promoted by Kirk Ferentz, held to different standards than white players and retaliated against for speaking out.
The university agreed to pay Doyle $1.1 million as part of a resignation agreement in June 2020, after dozens of former players said on social media that he had bullied and discriminated against them. Doyle has denied the allegations.
An investigation by an outside law firm later found that the program’s rules “perpetuated racial and culture biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity,” and allowed coaches to demean players without consequence.
Kirk Ferentz made several changes in response that players have welcomed.
Connecticut
Interim coach Lou Spanos, two assistant coaches and two Huskies players tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss a game Saturday against Massachusetts, the school announced. The school said Spanos, offensive coordinator Frank Giufer, tight ends coach Corey Edsall, senior offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark and freshman offensive lineman Will Meyer are all in a 10-day quarantine as a result of positive tests. The school says all five are fully vaccinated and doing well. Two unvaccinated team members were identified as close contacts and also immediately quarantined. Their names were not released.