Court weighs Lehi coach's defamation case

Coaches can take a lot of heat from people. In particular, high school coaches can take a lot of heat from parents. But a Lehi High School coach says parents of his girls basketball team crossed the line when they started what he describes as a campaign to oust him, leading him to sue for defamation.

In a first case of its kind to be considered, the Utah Supreme Court must determine if coaches like Michael O'Connor are considered private individuals or limited public figures. The difference may mean O'Connor cannot sue for defamation if he is considered a public figure.

"Not every public employee is a public official," argued O'Connor's attorney, Joseph Rust, during oral arguments before the supreme court Friday.

"Teachers are attacked. People don't like some of the things that teachers do," Rust pointed out, adding that teachers don't rise to the level of public scrutiny that, say, a mayor or Utah's governor do.

Justice Matthew Durrant asked if coaches weren't distinguished from other types of teachers because they invite the public to attend and participate in school events.

Rust pointed out that debate coaches and drama teachers also do the same thing in creating public events.

Attorney for the parents, Jesse Trentadue, said not every teacher or coach is a public figure, but rather it has to do with public interest and how much attention the teacher draws to himself.

O'Connor is a former coach of the girls basketball team at Lehi High School. During the 2003-04 school year, several parents of team members began to complain that O'Connor was yelling at and demeaning the girls and paying special attention to one star player while not giving other players enough time on the court. The parents complained to the principal and then accused O'Connor of mismanaging team funds. A school investigation found no evidence that the coach misused team funds.

Tensions between O'Con- nor and the parents began to grow, sparking a group of parents, friends and relatives to begin a letter-writing campaign. Ultimately, Lehi High's principal removed O'Connor as basketball coach, but he was allowed to stay on as the school's track coach and teacher for sociology and American problems. Subsequently, O'Connor sued the parents for defamation.

Trentadue said O'Connor made himself the focus of the controversy when he went to the media with the story.

Rust countered that it was the parents who created the controversy first by bringing their complaints before the school board during an open public meeting.