Thomas Hill worked for Baylor's athletics department for 28 years. If you know anything about the history of Baylor athletics, you know most of those 28 years weren't easy to work for Baylor's athletics department. Hill eventually rose the ranks to become assistant AD for community relations and special projects until he was fired in May, he says, as collateral in the Art Briles sexual assault scandal.
According to a suit filed in a Dallas County court, Hill will argue he was fired without explanation, swept away as a fall guy in a scandal that had nothing to do with him.
"Baylor summarily fired Mr. Hill without explanation or warning," a release from Hill's attorneys says, per ESPN. "In a rush to judgment, Baylor's Board of Regents made the decision to fire Mr. Hill without ever talking to him or getting his side of the story."
Hill's attorneys have petitioned the court to interview various regents and force Baylor to produce the Pepper Hamilton report. Of note, there is no Pepper Hamilton report, Baylor has insisted over the entire summer, beyond the 13-page summary released to the public in May.
No report was ever written, one is left to assume, precisely for situations like this.
Via ESPN:
The school also fired Hill and assistant athletic director for football operations Colin Shillinglaw, who was named in one police report as the person police should contact if they needed anything from the football program. Hill's name never surfaced in any reports reviewed by Outside the Lines, and it remains unclear what role he played in the sexual assault investigation.
"While not to the same degree as the courageous women who were victimized in this dark time in Baylor's history, Hill is yet another -- and unnecessary -- victim of this controversy," the petition states.
Hill's attorneys want to review data used by Pepper Hamilton to compile its oral presentation and 13-page report, including emails, cell phone data, documents and interview transcripts.
Baylor also faces three civil lawsuits representing eight women who say the school did not meet Title IX requirements in handling their sexual assault claims.
(HT ESPN)