Undated courtesy picture of Julia Pernsteiner. A federal lawsuit filed in March 2023 by the household of Pernsteiner, a Florida school scholar from Eagan, claims a cross nation coach at Jacksonville College ridiculed her for her weight and studying disabilities. The go well with names the varsity and its former cross-country coach, Ronald E. Grigg Jr. Pernsteiner died by suicide in 2021. (Courtesy of Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys)
Dad and mom of a former Rosemount Excessive Faculty graduate who died by suicide are taking authorized motion towards the Florida college their daughter attended and her cross-country coach on the time. In a lawsuit, they are saying the coach bullied her about her weight and studying disabilities.
The case was filed by Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner in Florida state court docket in February after which moved to U.S. District Court docket in Florida on March 3. Julia Pernsteiner died in her Jacksonville College dorm room on Nov. 8, 2021 at age 23.
The lawsuit alleges that Pernsteiner’s constitutional rights had been violated underneath each Title IX and the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
Calls from the Pioneer Press to attorneys for the previous coach Ronald E. Grigg Jr., 52, and Jacksonville College for touch upon the lawsuit weren’t returned Monday.
Jacksonville College did launch this assertion to KSTP tv: “The scholars, school, and employees of Jacksonville College proceed to mourn Julia’s tragic loss of life and we sympathize with the Pernsteiner household for his or her loss. Per College coverage, we don’t touch upon pending litigation.”
Civil lawsuit alleges sample of harassment
In line with the civil criticism, who coached the college’s cross-country staff from 1998 till his resignation in July, focused Pernsteiner with “malicious, humiliating and demeaning” feedback, textual content messages and emails.
“As a coach, defendant Grigg was oppressive, threatening, bullying, condescending and demeaning to most of the younger ladies on the staff,” stated the criticism. “He created a poisonous ambiance of humiliation and intimidation by belittling, disparaging and ridiculing runners who didn’t meet his requirements.”
Grigg allegedly “fat-shamed” some feminine teammates, saying they had been a part of a “fats membership” and setting unrealistic requirements for runners’ weights, “all of which prompted consuming issues in sure younger, impressionable ladies on the staff,” stated the criticism.
Upon asking teammates about their experiences with Grigg, Pernsteiner discovered Grigg made “inappropriate sexual feedback and gestures” to different feminine runners, in response to the lawsuit.
Pernsteiner and different members of the cross-country staff reached out to the JU athletic director, trainers and directors to report Grigg’s conduct, however no motion was taken towards the coach, in response to the criticism.
“JU employees and administration … had been conscious of Grigg’s malicious and unlawful conduct,” stated the criticism. “Due, nonetheless, to his success as a observe coach JU ignored his misconduct. So long as Grigg’s groups had been aggressive, JU tolerated his outrageous habits in direction of staff members.”
Incapacity sources withheld
Along with failing to oversee Grigg, the lawsuit additionally states that JU failed to supply the mandatory tutorial and athletic sources to Pernsteiner.
Pernsteiner used an Individualized Training Plan from a younger age to assist along with her ADHD, dyslexia and different studying disabilities, which JU allegedly agreed to adjust to along with different incapacity and psychological well being sources. Nevertheless, JU failed to supply lodging, together with a scribe, reader, professors’ notes and assistive expertise, the criticism stated.
Grigg dismissed Pernsteiner from the cross-country staff in September 2021 and after leaving the staff, Pernsteiner despatched an e-mail to the JU athletic director looking for recommendation as a result of she was involved about staying in class with out sources from the athletic division.
In line with the criticism, “her pleas went unanswered” and he or she struggled with despair.
“I’m greater than heartbroken to be taught that I’m not in a position to be on the observe staff as a result of my GPA is simply too low and I’m not quick sufficient to compete on the staff,” Pernsteiner stated within the e-mail despatched Oct. 18. “My coach knew my occasions when he recruited me to return to JU and knew about my grades … I wish to keep and work on enhancing my grades. I simply am not in a position to do it myself.”
‘Operating was a giant a part of her life’
In a press release by their lawyer, Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner stated: “For Julia, operating was a giant a part of her life and being a part of the staff was the most important, most essential, factor to her … Julia used operating as a key outlet to assist her supervisor her disabilities.”
Lower than three weeks earlier than her loss of life, Pernsteiner reported Grigg to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace, however no expenses had been filed. She additionally turned to varied social-service packages for assist in the time main as much as her suicide.
Pernsteiner was looking for a level in social sciences and hoped to turn into an internal metropolis youth coach, in response to her mother and father.
The Pernsteiners are looking for financial damages and a decide’s willpower that JU discriminated towards their daughter.
“Establishments ought to, and have to be, held accountable to safeguard their college students and athletes’ well-being,” stated the Pernsteiners within the assertion. They stated they hope for JU to implement a zero-tolerance coverage “to permit for all folks to securely share their issues” and take all athletes’ issues of abuse and bullying together with inappropriate habits significantly.
