Accusations made in court filing in Bassett lawsuit

Posted 9:18PM on Wednesday 24th August 2005 ( 19 years ago )

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) A court filing made Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by a former University of Kentucky assistant coach claims that several university administrators knew of NCAA violations being committed by those within the football program. The filing, made by attorneys for Claude Bassett as part of a federal lawsuit brought by the coach against the university's Athletic Association and the NCAA, includes a summary of testimony made by another former Kentucky assistant, Tony Franklin, as well as an affidavit from former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme. According to the filing, Franklin testified last week that recruiting violations occurred both before and after Bassett's hiring, that Bassett wasn't the only one at Kentucky who committed violations, and that the violations occurred ``with the implied consent'' and ``to some extent, with (the) participation'' of administrators including former university President Charles Wethington, former Athletics Directors C.M. Newton and Larry Ivy and the university's current NCAA compliance director, Sandy Bell. Franklin alleged that Ivy told him that he ``wanted to cover up these violations and avoid scandal to the University by firing Coach Bassett,'' according to the filing, and that Ivy went to Franklin ``specifically looking for evidence to fire Coach Bassett,'' which Franklin provided. Reached Wednesday night, Kentucky Athletics Department spokesman Scott Stricklin declined comment on the filing until university lawyers have seen it. However, he did defend Bell, saying ``she's as thorough, and adheres to NCAA regulations as closely, as any compliance director you'll find.'' Bassett, Kentucky's former recruiting coordinator for football, was the central figure in an NCAA investigation that led to major sanctions. He sued, claiming the defendants a group that originally included the Southeastern Conference conspired to keep him from landing another college job, and asked for $50 million in damages. Bassett resigned in November 2000, shortly before the NCAA began investigating allegations of wrongdoing in Kentucky's program. In 2002, the NCAA placed Kentucky on probation for more than three dozen recruiting violations committed between 1998 and 2000. It banned the Wildcats from a bowl game for one season and ordered the forfeiture of 19 scholarships over a three-year period. Bassett, who worked for Mumme, was found in violation of NCAA ethical conduct bylaws and effectively was banned from working for any NCAA school for eight years. At the time, Bassett acknowledged breaking NCAA recruiting rules. Bassett now is the athletics director and football coach at a high school in Robstown, Texas, near Corpus Christi. In the lawsuit, filed last September, Bassett asked the court to find that the three defendants violated federal antitrust laws by banning him from coaching. He also claimed that the defendants committed fraud and civil conspiracy against him by encouraging him to take actions depriving him of due process and that the NCAA has ``intentionally and improperly interfered'' with his prospective contract negotiations with NCAA-member institutions. In May, U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood dismissed the antitrust portion of Bassett's suit as well as Bassett's civil conspiracy claim. The judge also dismissed the fraud claims against the NCAA and SEC, but allowed the claim against the Athletic Association to stand. Bassett's claim that the NCAA interfered with his prospective contract negotiations also was allowed to stand. The filing made Wednesday concerned the remaining portions of the lawsuit. Mumme, now the head coach at New Mexico State, said in his affidavit that during a meeting between himself and Ivy the day after the 2000 season finale, that Ivy ``seemed anxious to find some violation by Bassett.'' Bassett later was called to the meeting and asked to resign, which he did. Mumme said that he understood that in exchange for Bassett's resignation, ``he would not be investigated or prosecuted for any alleged violations and that any accusations of wrongdoing would end there.'' Mumme also said that Bell later told him ``that it would be in the university's best interest if everything was tied to Claude Bassett, and that they would dump all the problems in Claude Bassett's lap.'' (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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