World news – California – Former Iowa footballers withdrew $ 20 million from settlement and filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against university

A group of former players for the University of Iowa soccer team withdrew a $ 20 million settlement and filed a lawsuit against the school, citing years of racial discrimination.

According to the Associated Press, Damario Solomon Simmons, the attorney representing the thirteen former students, withdrew the settlement after the university rejected their demands. The settlement demanded the dismissal of soccer coach Kirk Ferrentz, striker coach Brian Ferrentes, and sporting director Gary Barta, as well as damages of $ 20 million.. .

The university believes it has already taken steps to address players’ concerns and create a more welcoming environment for black players. The Associated Press also reported that student-athletes recently knelt on the national anthem for the first time in university history, and the soccer program loosened its restrictions on the types of hairstyles and clothing players can wear.. .

While these are gentle steps, they do not alleviate the years of discomfort and blatant racism that black athletes have suffered at school. Over the summer, the school hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the university’s soccer program after several former students spoke about the treatment they faced at the school.. The investigation concluded in the end that the program « perpetuated ethnic and cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity. ».

Players claim that they were not allowed to wear certain clothes, certain hairstyles, and were pushed to abandon their culture in an attempt to express the « Iowa Way ». K. a. Whiteness.

The university fired former assistant coach Chris Doyle over the summer over multiple allegations that he bullyed students. Doyle is alleged to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to making black athletes feel uncomfortable. They paid him $ 1. Million in resignation agreement Doyle has since denied the allegations.

So, the school is willing to pay money to the people who made it into this position, but it is not willing to put things right with those affected.. This is not rhetoric at all.

On Thursday, the university released a statement saying that the former athletes who had spoken publicly had « resulted in a strong commitment to improvement, » adding that any athlete who left school without a diploma qualifies for financial aid if returned.

“To this end, the University of Iowa continues to work hard to become a more inclusive campus for all students,” the university statement said.. “We appreciate the athletes who use their voices as we are on a positive path forward with our team.

Solomon Simmons told reporters that he also intends to file civil rights lawsuits in both federal and state agencies, saying that his clients are « deprived of the benefits of a quality education and the opportunities for excellence. ».

Jr Team Writer @ TheRoot. Monitor wrestling video game player. the master. Steal your Disney password.

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