Gregory Wright hoped to coach Swansea High football this season. Instead, the former University of South Carolina safety will find himself in a courtroom fighting his former employer.

After a final Lexington District 4 grievance policy appeal, Wright’s legal team filed a lawsuit with the 11th Circuit Court in Lexington County. The school board declined to take action in a 2-hour executive session with Wright and both sides’ attorneys being present.

In the 10-page filing, Wright seeks $300,000 plus punitive damages. Named in the lawsuit are District 4, Acting Superintendent Linda Lavender, Associate Superintendent Justin Nutter, Swansea High Assistant Principal Gib Lackey, Swansea Middle School Principal Craig Baker, school nurse Laura Sebok and her husband Larry.

“To the district, I would say that you had your opportunity to resolve this case without spending any more money other than what had already been budgeted for the remainder of the coach’s contract year,” said Wright’s attorney Lewis Cromer. “You did not do so and now the district must pay a heavy price.”

CROMER LAYS CASE

The lawsuit cites all the parties named for defamation, civil conspiracy and interference with contractual relations. Among the following allegations:

• Negative comments, both verbal and in writing used to dismiss him as head football coach and demote him from Athletic Director.

• False accusations of “incompetence, negligence, violations of laws and policies on numerous occasions” to people outside the district.

• Taking actions outside the course and scope of their employment to make Wright “appear complicit in wrongs he did not commit.”

• The defendants had “met and schemed with district officials and others to disparage and defame” Wright.

• “Unjustifiably interfered with” the contractual relationship between Wright and the district in violation of state law by informing supervisors he was not performing his duties as a coach and athletics director.

Wright was demoted as athletics director in February and told he would only teach during the 2018-19 school year.

Cromer disputed a June 25 incident at practice which reportedly led to Wright’s dismissal.

According to the lawsuit, Assistant Principal Gib Lackey’s son complained about dizziness and Wright immediately removed him from practice where he received treatment.

The next day, Nutter and Lavender fired him for being “grossly negligent in the way that he failed to safegroud his players along with a lithany of false charges and accusations about previous pretexual warnings and write-ups that he had received from” Nutter and others.

“He was never permitted to return to the practice even though he asked to do so,” the lawsuit stated.

DISTRICT MOVES FORWARD

At a press conference, District 4 released a statement reiterating the board decision not to take action on Wright’s grievance based on its policy of delegating coaching decisions to others.

A district statement read: “Coach Eric Pack will lead the Swansea Tigers as interim Head Football Coach for the 2018 campaign.

“Coach Pack has been an integral part of Swansea Athletics the past 13 years, serving as an assistant varsity football coach and as head junior varsity and middle school football coach during his tenure.

“Under his leadership the Swansea Wrestling program has won five region championships and, most recently, won the 2018 South Carolina Lower State Championship.”

Swansea High School Principal Shaun Jacques said, “Coach Pack is passionate about our student athletes and the Swansea Tradition. We have a great group of young men and we are excited to see Coach Pack and the team continue to exhibit the ‘Pride, Class, Character, and Will to Win’ that makes Swansea great!”

“I am committed to working with our team to continue the tradition of Swansea football this year,” Pack said.

Despite the change, members of the Swansea community remain supportive of their former head coach.

“I support Coach Wright because he’s a good mentor for us,” said one player who attended the July 12 meeting. “He’s really teaching us a lot of good things, not just on and off the field. He’s not only a great coach but a great mentor.”

Attorneys on both sides indicated no futher statements will be made on the lawsuit until its conclusion.

District 4 is represented by Ashley White of White and Story in Columbia.