<p>Former University of Georgia head basketball coach Jim Harrick and his son have sued school and NCAA officials for defamation, after being forced out of their jobs during a probe into NCAA rules violations last spring.</p><p>Harrick and his son and former assistant coach, Jim Harrick Jr., filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, naming a host of defendants, including UGA President Michael Adams, UGA Athletic Director Vince Dooley and the University System Board of Regents.</p><p>The Harricks claim the defendants have acted in concert to spread the defamatory statements about them during an ongoing investigation into charges the coaches were involved in giving players academic assistance and improper benefits, according to the suit.</p><p>Harrick Jr. was fired last March, and his father resigned later that month amid the accusations. The scandal also prompted the school to ban the Bulldogs from the SEC and NCAA tournaments.</p><p>The two are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys fees and other litigation costs.</p><p>The suit alleges Adams and Dooley made accusations of academic fraud, lying and unethical conduct, despite knowing the charges were false.</p><p>They (UGA investigators) didnt tell the truth; they did things like intimidate people, like telling athletes, If you dont cooperate youll lose your scholarship, Harrick Sr. told The Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday.</p><p>The suit also claims UGA officials violated Georgias open records law by releasing records to the public that should have been kept sealed as part of an ongoing investigation.</p><p>In addition to Adams, Dooley and the Regents board, the other defendants named in the suit are: the UGA Athletic Association, the UGA Foundation, the NCAA, NCAA President Myles Brand; Adams UGA legal adviser, Stephen Shewmaker; Edward Tolley, an Athens lawyer hired by UGA; Amy Chisholm, the UGA Athletic Associations NCAA compliance officer; Tom Landrum, who was executive director of the UGA Foundation before resigning in June, and NCAA investigator Christopher Howard.</p><p>University spokesman Tom Jackson declined to comment Thursday, saying that officials had not yet seen the complaint.</p><p>Russ Willard, a spokesman for state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, also said the office had not yet had time to review the lawsuit.</p><p>The lawsuit arose after the university refused to grant the Harricks a name-clearing hearing, Harrick Sr. said.</p><p>All we want is justice. All I want is my sons name cleared. They refused to give us the name-clearing hearing and left us no other choice, he said.</p><p>___</p><p>Information from: Athens Banner-Herald</p>
