Fired ULL coach wins $2 million judgment in discrimination case

10/19/2007 4:24 PM

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A former head football coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has won a $2 million judgment in a lawsuit claiming the school fired him because of his race, not his 6-27 record.

Jurors found Jerry Baldwin's race wasn't the only reason he lost the job. According to the jury, university officials broke his contract and inflicted emotional distress through negligence.

The six white jurors and six black jurors took nearly 10 hours to work their way through a complicated verdict form late Thursday.

``There is no substitute for victory,'' said Baldwin's attorney, G. Karl Bernard.

Jurors voted 10-2 to award Baldwin $500,000 for general damages, including emotional distress; $600,000 for past lost wages; $900,000 for future lost wages and $2,676 for special damages.

ULL attorney Steve Oats said the evidence doesn't support the verdict for Baldwin, who was coach from 1999-2001, but he and university officials haven't decided their next step.

``It is clear Jerry Baldwin was not terminated because of his race,'' Oats said. ``Jerry Baldwin was terminated over his tenure. The team had a record of 6-27, and attendance was terrible. The program was not going in the right direction.''

Oats said the same officials accused of racial discrimination hired Baldwin.

``The university has a long history of not only supporting diversity, but of leadership in bringing diversity to its university and collegiate athletics,'' the university said in a statement Friday.

In closing arguments for the eight-day trial, Bernard said white coaches before and after Baldwin got new equipment and had a greater ability to market the football program via a coach's television show and through the university's marketing department.

Baldwin worked with used equipment, the marketing director was fired his second year on the job, and he never had a coach's show to promote the football program, Bernard said.

Oats also said there are no signs that Baldwin's ability to get another job in coaching has been hampered by the firing, and Baldwin's attorneys did not present any evidence that he suffered extreme emotional distress.

Bernard disagreed and said Baldwin's reputation suffered because of the firing.

Baldwin, 53, is now a minister at New Living Word Ministries in Ruston.