UK Responds with Lawsuit Against Gillispie

A day after former University of Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie filed a lawsuit against the UK Athletics Association seeking six million dollars in buyout money, the university responds with a suit of their own. Below is a release from UK sent out this afternoon.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 28, 2009) − Today, the University of Kentucky announced that it has filed a suit in Franklin Circuit Court, where all contract matters involving state agencies must be adjudicated, seeking a declaration of the respective rights and obligations under its Memorandum of Understanding with former coach Billy Gillispie that was signed on April 6, 2007. UK contends that repeated efforts to reach a definitive long-term employment contract were rejected by Gillispie, therefore the MOU is not an enforceable contract, and no "cause" was required for its termination of him. These are questions of law which we hope can be determined without much delay.

It is unfortunate that Mr. Gillispie has sued the UK Athletics Association, a nonprofit supporting foundation that was not his employer, in Federal Court in Texas. Mr. Gillispie was a university employee, and the volunteer Board of the UKAA serves
the university in a valuable, but purely advisory capacity. The decision to terminate Mr. Gillispie's employment was a university decision. UKAA will vigorously seek the dismissal of the Texas lawsuit. The university is the proper party to any suit, not UKAA, and the university will rely upon the allegations of its Franklin Circuit Court complaint as the true version of this contract dispute.