Former Penn State women’s gymnastics coach loses bid to revive lawsuit after 2017 firing
Penn State’s former women’s gymnastics coach lost Tuesday his bid to revive his lawsuit that claimed the university defamed him and breached his contract when it fired him over allegations he bullied athletes.
A state Superior Court panel turned away Jeffrey Thompson’s argument, instead finding Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine’s detailed September 2022 ruling that tossed the suit was supported by evidence and free of legal error.
Penn State is “very pleased” with the ruling, university spokeswoman Lisa Powers wrote in an email Thursday. Messages left Thursday with Thompson’s attorney were not immediately returned.
Thompson, who was hired in 2010, was dogged for years by allegations of misconduct. He admitted during his deposition to making what Grine described as disrespectful and demeaning comments toward gymnasts.
He ridiculed a gymnast’s weight, talked about inappropriately touching a gymnast and made light of another gymnast’s mental health. Some gymnasts claimed they were forced to train while injured and others said they were told their scholarships could be withdrawn.
Some of the allegations were made public in an article published in 2016. Former Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour was quoted as saying Thompson and his wife — who was an assistant coach — were “aware of the fact that these allegations have been made. ... They are cooperating fully and look forward to learning how they can improve.”
Thompson alleged the statement was defamatory, but Grine flatly disagreed. It was neither made with malice nor explicitly false, Grine wrote in his 14-page opinion.
Thompson was fired for cause in 2017 because of the “negative atmosphere” he caused with his inappropriate comments, Barbour and another former administrator said. His base salary was nearly $128,500.
He was unable to land another collegiate coaching position after his firing, his attorney wrote in the 2018 lawsuit. He accepted an offer in 2017 to work at a gymnastics academy in Texas.