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Messy report Axtell sues Texas, Penders, radio station
Posted: Thursday March 16, 2000 07:11 PM
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Former University of Texas basketball player Luke Axtell has filed a lawsuit against the school, athletics director DeLoss Dodds and former coach Tom Penders over the release of his grade report to a radio station in 1998. Axtell, who also is suing the station that broadcast the report, says the release of the grades was illegal and that his right to privacy was violated. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Travis County District Court says it was Penders who orchestrated the improper release of Axtell's grades. Dodds was aware it would happen and did nothing to stop it, the lawsuit said. Axtell, who later transferred to Kansas, suffered mental anguish and public embarrassment and contempt, the lawsuit said. He is seeking unspecified damages. The release of the grades came after Penders suspended Axtell for alleged academic troubles, although the school has said since he was in good academic standing and the grade report was incorrect. Penders denies any role in releasing the grades. "I don't know anything about this lawsuit," said Penders, who now coaches at George Washington. The grades release "was all a facade to get me out," Penders said. He accepted a $900,000 settlement on his $2.2 million contract when he left Texas. "I know the truth," Penders said. "The last thing they want for me to do is testify." Texas officials did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. The state attorney general's office, which will represent the university, had no immediate comment, a spokeswoman said. Former Longhorns assistant coach Eddie Oran publicly took the blame for releasing the grades and lost a week's salary as discipline. He was not named in the lawsuit. But in sworn testimony for a lawsuit filed previously against Capstar Texas Limited Partnership, the parent company of the Austin radio station that broadcast the report, Oran said he took the blame for Penders. Penders said former Texas assistants Carlton Owens and Rob Wright would back him up. Wright is now an assistant with Penders at George Washington and Owens is an assistant at St. Peter's College in New Jersey. Neither returned telephone calls Thursday. Axtell's attorney, Sheryl Rasmus of Austin, and lawyers for Capstar did not immediately return phone calls Thursday. Axtell sat out a year after transferring to Kansas and played in 20 games this season before leaving the team for undisclosed reasons in early February.
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