The lawsuit, as reported by The Sacramento Bee, alleges that an ESPN story led to Taylor’s termination. The story stated that multiple employees complained about Taylor’s hostile and aggressive behavior and personal attacks, which were inconsistent with Stanford’s standards. Taylor’s attorneys argue that these statements were false and known to be false by ESPN and reporter Xuan Thai.
Taylor had been under investigation for over a year, with the first probe resulting in a warning letter in February of the previous year. Despite disagreeing with the complaint, Taylor cooperated fully. The second investigation concluded that Taylor did not act unfairly, leading to an extension and raise for his work.
In his April statement, Taylor mentioned that the investigations were improperly disclosed to the media. The lawsuit claims that the workplace investigations did not find gender-based bullying or belittling by Taylor. It also alleges that ESPN’s actions were intentional and malicious, warranting punitive damages.
ESPN has declined to comment on the matter. Taylor, who posted a 3-9 record in both seasons as Stanford’s head coach, was replaced by interim coach Frank Reich.
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