OSU coach sued over firing

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smcgee10

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http://normantranscript.com/local/x1552634033/OSU-coach-sued-over-firing

August 13, 2011
OSU coach sued over firing

By Anita Pere The Norman Transcript

STILLWATER — The athletic rivalry between Oklahoma’s state universities is well known but this week it took an odd legal twist.

A civil damages lawsuit filed Thursday against Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State University football coach, and his wife, Kristen, claims a carpenter was fired by Gundy for showing up on the job at the couple’s home wearing a University of Oklahoma baseball jersey.

Gundy’s attorney said Friday the football coach denies the worker’s claims.

Brent Loveland, a carpenter in Choctaw, is seeking damages totaling more than $10,000. Loveland said he had a verbal contract with Gundy to remodel the couple’s Stillwater home for an estimated $80,000 over 13 weeks.

Loveland’s lawsuit says when he showed up for work last spring wearing an OU baseball shirt, the Cowboys’ coach responded with profanity and kicked him off the job.

“Mike asked, ‘How dare you come into my house and offend my wife,’” the suit states.

When Loveland asked what he was taking about, “‘Mike responded, ‘That f---ing shirt you have on,’” the suit says.

Gundy told him to pack his things and leave, the suit claims.

Loveland apologized and offered to turn the shirt inside out, but Gundy refused and insisted Loveland “‘pack his s--t’” and leave, the suit says.

“During the confrontation, Mike let loose a string of cursing that would make a sailor blush,” according to the lawsuit.

Loveland’s lawsuit contends he “dressed in the dark” at 4 a.m. to go to the Stillwater job and didn’t realize he had grabbed a shirt promoting OSU’s Bedlam rival.

“As it turns out, his random choice in the dark that morning of what shirt to wear was unfortunate,” Loveland’s lawsuit said.

The Gundys hired Loveland after seeing his carpentry work at Mike Gundy’s parents’ home in Midwest City, the suit states. Loveland’s attorney Edward White said today Gundy and Loveland had a verbal contract that would have earned Loveland more than $80,000 had he been allowed to perform the 13 weeks of work they discussed for the main floor of the couple’s Stillwater home.

There also was potential for Loveland to earn more by working on the couple’s basement, the suit claims.

They did not discuss proper work attire or school affiliation, the suit says.

Loveland figures he is out at least $30,000 because he turned down other jobs to work at the Gundys’ home, White said.

“This was a big job for which he had blocked out a significant period of time and didn’t have other jobs lined up, so he was out of work for quite a while,” White said.

“I’m an OSU guy, so this is not a vendetta. This is simply a gentleman who’s a small business owner, he depends on his work for his livelihood and he didn’t get paid for a job where we think he was unreasonably terminated,” White said.

Though Loveland was to have started the work in March, the case wasn’t ready to file in court until this week, White said.

Loveland declined to comment.

Gavin Lang, coordinator of media relations for OSU football, said today Gundy could not comment for this article because he was on the practice field this morning.

OSU spokeswoman Carrie Hulsey-Greene referred the NewsPress to attorney Willie Baker for comment. Baker’s office issued the following statement:

“On behalf of Coach Gundy, while I cannot discuss the specifics of pending litigation, I deny the allegations being made and welcome the opportunity to fully resolve the matter.”

The construction worker may seek a change of venue later “due to the notoriety of defendants in Payne County, and the expected attendant difficulty in selecting an unbiased jury, among other factors,” the lawsuit claims.


After all Coach Gundy is a man. He can take it! ROFL
 

Neil

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This doesn't pass the smell test. If Mike were that sensitive, there's no way he could ever have his brother over for Thanksgiving without domestic violence.
 

SMS

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Really? I mean, really? Since when can't someone fire a contractor?

Nobody said you can't, but if you do it for a stupid reason like a t-shirt you shouldn't be immune from some blowback. Verbal contracts carry weight.

Assuming the reporting/claims are accurate I find it funny that the coach's wife was offended by a t-shirt on a carpenter, but not by the obscenities coming out of her husband's mouth.

Allrighty then...guess the big man showed that carpenter who was the boss huh?
 

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