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Judge rules Manning reference stays in Tennessee Title IX suit

Graham Watson

A Peyton Manning reference will remain part of the Title IX suit brought against the University of Tennessee, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Lawyers for the school had tried to remove the Manning mention saying it was frivolous because the incident occurred more than 20 years ago. The other cases in the suit occurred between 2013 and 2015. University of Tennessee lawyers claimed the plaintiffs were using Manning’s name to garner more attention to the case.

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University lawyers said Manning’s time as a student-athlete is "immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous" and was included in "a misguided (and unfortunately successful) attempt to generate publicity."

The original suit claims the University created a hostile sexual environment through indifference toward assaults by student-athletes. In the suit, Manning is accused of sexually assaulting a female associate trainer while she was looking at an injury.

Jamie Naughright (then Jamie Whited), the first female associate trainer at UT, reported to the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Knoxville that Manning had "sat on her face" while she was tending to his ankle in 1996. The incident was privately settled in 1997 and Naughtright was forced to leave her job.

University of Tennessee lawyers argued that Manning’s inclusion in the suit would only be relevant if the prosecution could prove that Manning committed sexual assault. To that point, no evidence had surfaced to make that accusation.

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However, the plaintiffs argued that including Manning showed the lengthy existence of a "hostile and discriminatory sexual environment" at the University of Tennessee.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said the university’s lawyers had not shown that the Manning reference "bears no possible relation to this action."

For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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