Former Virginia Tech footballer allegedly benched for refusing to kneel receives $100,000 settlement: Lawyer

A former women’s soccer player at Virginia Tech who accused her coach of benching her political views will reportedly receive at least $100,000 as part of an agreement to dismiss a federal lawsuit. .

Kirsten Henning will receive the award as part of a settlement of a lawsuit she filed against head coach Charles “Chugger” Adair in 2021, according to the Roanoke Times, according to her attorney. Cameron Norris said last week.

Norris said the terms of the settlement did not include acknowledgment of wrongdoing by his clients or Adair.

There are no details of the settlement in court records, according to the outlet, but Norris said the agreement would need to be approved by university and state officials before it was finalized.

Former Virginia Tech footballer allegedly benched for refusing to kneel allowed to proceed with lawsuit: Judge

Kirsten Henning claims her coach retaliated against her political views after refusing to kneel in a pregame ‘statement of solidarity’ for the fall 2020 season.
(Hokey Sports)

Hennig, who was a midfielder/defender for the Hokies from 2018 to 2020, sued Adair in both his personal and official capacity as a coach, often with political views that differed from those of his teammates during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. 2020.

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Henning said she was removed from her starting position and pressured to leave the team after refusing to kneel during the reading of the ‘Unity Statement’ before the September 12, 2020 match against UVA. I claimed. .

In his lawsuit, Henning explained that he “supports social justice and believes black lives matter” but “does not support the organization BLM” and “will stop funding the police.” The tactics and core tenets of its mission statement, including

Fans of the Virginia Tech Hokies cheer as they face the North Carolina Tar Heels at Lane Stadium in the second quarter.
(Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)

According to the lawsuit, Adair continued to criticize Henning until she benched him, eventually things became unbearable and she felt she had no choice but to quit the team.

On December 2, federal judge Thomas Cullen denied a motion to dismiss the case, noting that Henning’s time on the field decreased after the kneeling incident. Adair insisted the other two players who refused to kneel were not facing reduced playing time.

“Ultimately, Adair may convince jurors that this coaching decision was based solely on Hennig’s poor play during UVA’s game, but the court decided that the light in Hennig’s favor would be the most favorable. Looking at the evidence within, we cannot reach that conclusion as a matter of law. Justice Cullen said the issues in the case were fundamental.

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A three-day trial, which was due to begin later this month, was canceled last Tuesday in court filings showing the case was settled.

On January 4, Adair released a statement on Twitter, saying, “I am happy that the lawsuit against me has been closed. I am free to move forward without any wrongdoing.”

“Unfortunately, this ordeal involved disappointment and disagreement regarding playing time. Today it became clear that this lawsuit is groundless and without evidence, the truth prevails.” Adair said he did not mention the settlement.

Attorney Adam Mortara tweeted in response to Adair’s statement. Do not pay if you have no basis. “

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Mortara went on to thank Adair and his “tech boss for paying us the equivalent of several years of tuition.”