A former Virginia Tech women’s soccer player is suing coach Charles “Chugger” Adair for setting up a “campaign of abuse and retaliation” after she refused to join her teammates and kneel during the national anthem before games this season.
Campus Reform reports junior Kiersten Hening filed a federal lawsuit last month, claiming Adair became so enraged by her refusing to protest the national anthem at UVA’s season opener on Sept. 12, 2020, that during halftime he, “pointing a finger directly in her face,” berated her for “b****ing and moaning” and “doing her own thing.”
“Coach Adair’s tirade was so extreme, so personally directed at Hening,” the lawsuit continues. And it “shocked” Hening’s teammates, who consoled her after the incident.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
Hening, 21, started for the Hokies in 37 matches during her freshman and sophomore seasons at Tech, according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
By the time of Virginia Tech’s third match against Clemson University on Sept. 20, Hening was allegedly dropped from the starting lineup. She resigned from the soccer program after the game.
“Coach Adair’s campaign of abuse and retaliation made conditions for Hening so intolerable that she felt compelled to resign. Hening did not want to leave,” the lawsuit reads.
According to the 12-page lawsuit, Hening’s teammates told Adair of her opposition to protesting the national anthem before the season began and asked him to “address the fact that some of his players were ‘racist’ and did not support BLM.”
Hening’s complaint claims she “supports social justice and believes black lives matter,” but “does not support the BLM organization.”
“Hening’s stance was costly — too costly,” the lawsuit reads. “Her coach dislikes Hening’s political views. Because she refused to kneel, he benched her, subjected her to repeated verbal abuse, and forced her off the team.”
The university is not named in the lawsuit, only Adair. He declined to comment on the lawsuit. He’s being represented by the university’s attorneys.
Mark Owczarski, associate vice president of university relations, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch the school is declining comment at this time.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN