Former College Soccer Player Who Claimed She Was Benched for not Kneeling for BLM Wins $100K Settlement
“The former student’s attorney, Cameron Norris, noted that the settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing by the coach or school.”
Very interesting that the school is not admitting doing anything wrong.
Breitbart News reports:
Ex-Virginia Tech Soccer Player Allegedly Benched for Not Kneeling for BLM Gets $100K Settlement
A former Virginia Tech women’s soccer team member who alleged that her coach benched her because she would not bow down and take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter has won a $100,000 settlement.
Kiersten Hening has agreed to take the settlement to bow out of her lawsuit against the school and coach Charles “Chugger” Adair, whom she sued on First Amendment grounds, according to Fox News.
The former student’s attorney, Cameron Norris, noted that the settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing by the coach or school.
Early in Dec., U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Cullen gave former Hokies midfielder the OK to sue the school and coach after Hening said the coach benched her for refusing to join in with the team’s kneeling in 2020 as a “unity statement” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hening claimed she was targeted for harassment because she would not take a knee during the national anthem.
The player notes that she was no bench-sitter, having played the third-most minutes of the team in 2019 and the most minutes in 2020 during her junior year. Also, Henning was a starter for 18 of the school’s 19 games in 2019. She also points out that she was considered such a solid player that the coaching staff selected her to speak to the media ahead of the recent season.
But Hening says the coaches turned on her in September of last year when the team met to discuss the idea of players wearing BLM medical masks, wristbands, armbands, and shirts during warmups. The team also wanted to put the names of victims of police violence on jerseys instead of player names.
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Comments
Congratulations Hening and screw Coach Chuggers! What an ahole he must be!
But the coach is claiming he has now been vindicated. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.
Your headline reads likes she was benched for “kneeing”, not benched for refusal to kneel to BLM.
Survived motion to dismiss but award was small. I guess they didn’t think they had much of a case and settled early. Sucks to see that, but I hope more college take notice. 100k is nothing to them for their DEI goals…it will take a lot more than that.
The Gibson’s definitely put college on notice, though! Here’s to another big victory like that hopefully in 2023!
Take it back, an inch at a time if necessary. Good for her!