Ball State to pay ex-coach Thompson $200,000 in settlement

1/23/2008 7:53 PM

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) -Former Ball State basketball coach Ronny Thompson will get $200,000 as part of his settlement with the university.

Terms of the settlement were released by Ball State on Wednesday. Thompson, who resigned in July amid allegations of racial harassment, also received an apology from the university last month.

In return, Thompson agreed to waive all claims he may have against the university and that nothing in the settlement constitutes an admission of liability or illegality by either party.

University spokesman Tony Proudfoot said neither side would have any further comment.

Thompson, a son of Hall of Fame coach John Thompson, resigned in July after alleging racial harassment and retaliation by the university for his complaints of harassment. In the apology at the time a settlement was announced in December, Ball State said ``unprofessional behavior'' by an employee tainted a report to the NCAA on possible rules violations and contributed to Thompson's decision to resign.

Terms of the settlement released Wednesday included one requiring both Thompson and Ball State officials not to discuss details of the agreement. The five-page settlement also requires Ball State to pay all mediation costs and both sides to refrain from public disparagement of each other.

Thompson also must cooperate with the NCAA investigation of Ball State and is entitled to review any reports by Ball State to the NCAA.

At the time of Thompson's resignation, the university said he and his staff had broken NCAA rules in the summer of 2006 and in May 2007 by attending voluntary offseason team workouts. It also said they had lied about their involvement.

An outside review conducted by former Indiana Supreme Court Justice Myra Selby found the university had enough evidence to warrant the filing of a self-report to the NCAA last June but that its investigation was tainted by the unprofessional actions of the staff member who conducted it.

``Ball State and Coach Thompson both regret that a dialogue was not opened earlier and in a manner that would have allowed him to remain as head basketball coach at the University,'' the university's statement last month said.