Judge Gives Green Light For Former VT Soccer Player To Continue Free Speech Lawsuit

John Simmons | December 12, 2022
DONATE
Text Audio
00:00 00:00
Font Size

On December 2, U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Cullen gave his approval to a former women’s collegiate soccer player to sue her coach on charges of a free speech violation.

Kiersten Hening was a midfielder and defender for the Virginia Tech Hokies from 2018-2020, where she was logging consistent minutes and regularly starting and contributing. But on September 12, 2020, Hening refused to kneel while her team read a unity statement before a game against the University of Virginia that showed their support for Black Lives Matter and the social justice protests that ravaged America that summer.

Hening’s actions drew the ire of her coach, Charles Adair, who, according to Hening’s lawsuit, began verbally abusing her after the game.

“At the next opportunity — halftime of the Virginia game — Coach Adair berated Hening for her stance,” the lawsuit reads. “He singled her out and verbally attacked her, pointing a finger directly in her face. He denounced Hening for ‘b****ing and moaning,’ for being selfish and individualistic, and for ‘doing her own thing.’”

Related: Whitlock: Putin Fleeced US For Our Obsession With CRT, Diversity

The harsh treatment continued, as Cullen pointed out in his statement that her playing time drastically decreased in the following games. Eventually, Hening felt compelled to quit and did so shortly after the initial incident. 

Even if a jury cannot find Adair guilty of forcing Hening to quit, his actions nonetheless are completely reprehensible and disgusting. If athletes truly have the right to voice opinions that are different from even their own teammates, then his verbal abuse is completely uncalled for.

But what would you expect from a coach so clearly blinded by the progressive agenda.

Follow us on Twitter:

donate