Being terminated from a job is a difficult position for anyone to be in. When that termination is one that you consider a wrongful termination or one that meets the requirements for a wrongful termination, the effect can be even more devastating. Former Florida A&M coach Clemon Johnson has recently filed a lawsuit against the university to take a stand against what he calls a wrongful termination.
Johnson’s annual salary while coaching was $150,000. He was terminated after three years of a four-year contract. The issue in this case isn’t that he got let go. Instead, the issue is that his contract wasn’t paid. His lawsuit claims that the university breached the contract, breached good faith and fair dealing, was a fraud and was a negligent misrepresentation.
This isn’t the first time that the university has found itself in this position. In fact, in January, another former coach filed a similar lawsuit. Earl Holmes alleges that the university failed to pay him $400,000 over two years that he was due per his contract. He is also suing for other damages.
In Johnson’s case, his attorney says that Johnson knows you can get cut. Johnson was let go after a 14-18 record season. His termination in April of last year came only a week after a new athletic director was introduced. That director resigned in December of last year.
Contracts are meant to protect employees and employers, When an employer doesn’t uphold contract terms, employees should work to understand their rights pertaining to the contract dispute. This can help them to decide how they want to handle the situation.
Source: Tallahassee Democrat, “Former FAMU basketball coach Johnson sues university,” Jordan Culver, May. 14, 2015
