Less than a week after the exonerated former lacrosse players filed suit against the city of Durham, the Durham Police Department and Durham's former district attorney, their former coach Mike Pressler is suing the University, seeking relief from a confidential agreement he reached with Duke in March 2007.
The suit, which was filed in Durham County Superior Court Thursday by Raleigh-based attorney Jay Trehy, accuses the University of violating terms of the settlement by making defamatory statements against Pressler.
"The defendant wrongfully fired Coach Pressler on April 5, 2006, and publicly and falsely suggested he bore responsibility for the alleged misconduct," the suit reads.
Pressler led the team for 16 seasons until he was pressured to resign as allegations of rape surfaced against members of the 2005-2006 lacrosse team.
The case against David Evans, Trinity '06, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann, was dropped this April, and Pressler alleges that his firing was a "very public response to the media coverage, without any semblance of a fair hearing or any willingness to consider the truth."
He reached a financial settlement with the University for an undisclosed amount in the spring of 2006, a year before entering into the confidential agreement, which spokespersons for Duke said they will fight to uphold.
"Mr. Pressler, aided by his attorney, reached a fair and final financial agreement with Duke University in the spring of 2007," University Counsel Pam Bernard said. "We are disappointed that he is now trying to undo that agreement with an unfounded claim against Duke. We will address the matter through the legal process and insist on honoring our existing agreement."
The suit specifically cites comments made by John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, that were made to Newsday April 9, 2007, and to The Associated Press June 7, 2007.
Pressler also claimed that the statements Burness made comparing him to John Danowski, who took over as head lacrosse coach July 2006, were in violation of the private arrangement.
"One of the things we certainly have come to understand in this case is that the coaches in general in each of our sports are responsible for the behavior of their teams," Burness told Newsday. "Danowski is night and day... As [President Richard Brodhead] said, 'This guy's a mensch. This guy gets it.'"
Burness' remarks breached a dependent part of the agreement-which will remain under seal-and should make it void, according to the suit.
Following his resignation, which broke a three-year employment contract that became effective July 1, 2005, Pressler was cited as saying he had trouble finding new work and that the case had caused considerable damage to his reputation.
He now coaches at Division II Bryant University in Rhode Island.
In addition to calling for an end to the confidential agreement, Pressler's suit also requested a jury trial for unspecified financial compensation for attorney and court costs, as well as further relief as specified by the court.
Attempts to reach Pressler and his attorney were unsuccessful, and Burness declined to comment on the matter.
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