Ex-coach Sarkisian Suing for Wrongful Termination

[urroner]

Sarkisian is suing USC for a boatload of money, I've heard 30+ million dollars, for wrongful termination of his job.

http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2015/12/ ... 449558230/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The suit states that Sarkisian has, at times, been "a person with a disability" because of his alcoholism, under federal law, and the stress of his job contributed to his alcohol dependency.

"Under the circumstances of this case, California law required USC to make reasonable accommodation of giving Steve Sarkisian time off to get help for his disability and then return to his job," according to the lawsuit. "Instead, USC ignored both its obligations under California law and the commitments it made to Steve Sarkisian."

Being one who suffers from depression, I can have empathy for that. I know there are those who would just want to fire him and throw him off into the junk pile of life, but the law says that's a no no.

USC placed him on indefinite leave and then fired him the next day. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one of those vile creatures, but I see a lot of problems with what USC did.

I work at Kennedy Space Center and there are counselors there, full time, specifically for helping those with problems and it's all confidential. I have used it. It saved my life and my job.

Supervisors can even suggest their underlings go get help. A lot of effort is put into helping somebody before such a drastic action as firing somebody is ever done. That is done as a last resort.

Even though it's irritating, though very wonderful, I can talk with those high and mighty in NASA about my depression, they don't judge me, but they tell me to please take advantage of that counseling. They take it seriously. The leaders in the Church even are being more compassionate with depression. They are beginning to understand it better.

I don't choose to be depressed and without external help, medicine, and time, it only gets worse and I end up doing things just to find a morsel of happiness and finding the morsel only makes it worse.

I don't know why Sark did what he did, but I believe he has good reason for his suit, but whatever happens, I hope him the best.

[Cougs_Rule]

I hope for the best for him as well because if this report is accurate, he just turned nuclear. He won't coach anywhere again except the high school for the inner city choir boys.
He was warned and given plenty of advance notice. He was sincerely crippling the school and its reputation (hard to believe that school has selected three dumpster fire coaches in a row) with his choices by not managing his addiction. I doubt he wins the suit, but he may. But regardless, he will be nuclear and no school will ever want to be associated with him again. I'm compassionate toward his "disability" and concerned for him as a former Coug (though I have far more for max hall's addiction etiology from an injury). But essentially blaming someone else and taking to this level is a bad sign for his future as he will be locked into his views of the world and his own addiction. Feeding him $30mm would on,y feed his addiction.
Alternatively, he should have sobered up, rehabbed up, and restarted somewhere else. Others have done that. Shoot even some of you on here suggested he come to byu. I'm sure by now you have realized the foll heartiness of your fantasy.

[IowaCougar]

I think that regardless of illness and depression, there comes a time when we have to take responsibility for our actions. If we face issues with depression, we have to be willing to seek and accept help. Some of his actions seem to show that he chose to avoid the help he needed - and was probably offered. If USC simply ignored his issues, then perhaps his lawsuit has merit. But I suspect he'd been given many chances to get the help he needed.

[vancouvercougar]

Jason Scukanec (former BYU cougar) has a sports talk show here in the
Portland area, and he talked about the law suit yesterday. Jason thinks that USC will for $5M just to be done and avoid a trial with the accompanying legal fees.

[snoscythe]

He'll be less toxic than Mike Leach was, and Mike seemed to find a new job in the P5 pretty easily.

[stuckinbig10country]

I think USC better settle, because the way they handled this, they are likely on the line for the $30 million if it goes to trial. The suspension one day/firing the next really looks like they were trying to avoid a diagnosis they knew was coming, and thus be subject to all the ADA requirements. Judges look down on that type of maneuvering from businesses.

[stgeorgefan]

I He was sincerely crippling the school and its reputation (hard to believe that school has selected three dumpster fire coaches in a row) with his choices by not managing his addiction.

Step 1 in AA, NA, Lds addiction recovery etc; basically says "you're powerless to overcome your addiction and your life is unmanageable"

An actual alcoholic or addict CANNOT manage their own addiction. If(and i'm assuming this to be 100% true) Steve was an actual alcoholic and not just a heavy drinker or problem drinker(there is a difference) than Steve's life was run by alcohol. He could had said he was ok and had it under wraps, he could have said he didn't need treatment etc. All that would be false and the federal and state laws will back this up.
Steve will either win or get a settlement, USC broke the law. You;d think in California of all places, they would have jumped through all the right loops before sending Sark on his way.
This takes nothing away from Steve deserving to be let go, he messed up, but so did USC and now they will have to pay to make it go away.

[urroner]

I think that regardless of illness and depression, there comes a time when we have to take responsibility for our actions. If we face issues with depression, we have to be willing to seek and accept help. Some of his actions seem to show that he chose to avoid the help he needed - and was probably offered. If USC simply ignored his issues, then perhaps his lawsuit has merit. But I suspect he'd been given many chances to get the help he needed.

Sometimes depression makes one not want help. It's often not a matter of choice.

One time I went through the house yelling and screaming at my boys when they were little and I broke a few things. That is not me in any way, but I did it. Also, the whole time I was telling myself to stop doing that, but I kept on doing it. I did it for about ten minutes and finally I was simply emotionally exhausted.

Yes, there are consequences to actions. but should we be so eager to heap more than enough consequences onto another heads in order to make sure he suffers enough.

There does come a time when a company will have to drop somebody if depression if he refuses help or the help isn't helping, but it shouldn't be a matter of "Hey, we asked you if you wanted help one time and you said no. Adios buddy."

I don't know what USC has or hasn't done to help Sarkisian, but they had better have dotted their I's or crossed their T's, else they could be in for a heap of financial hurt.

[stgeorgefan]

I think that regardless of illness and depression, there comes a time when we have to take responsibility for our actions.

You cannot separate those with depression/addiction and those without it and judge them both equally.

If we face issues with depression, we have to be willing to seek and accept help. Some of his actions seem to show that he chose to avoid the help he needed -

Doesn't work this way.
You cannot judge an addict or seriously depressed person, with having normal brain function. It would make sense that when Steve's life was spiraling out of control for him to accept help or to reach out. Well, that's not how it works out 90% of the time. Ever wonder why addicts go down hill so fast, why they do things sane people wouldn't touch?
Alcoholism/addiction lives in the mid-brain and as such is on par with other mid-brain activities. The addiction runs in the background, and if left unchecked will eventually lead to self destruction. That's just the basic facts and that is why the Feds and the States classify addiction as a disability. It's also the reason rehab's will move into your neighborhoods....but that's a separate topic.

FWIW; I'm an addict/alcoholic. Been to rehab and jail and throughout the justice system. Had to lose a job based on it(my work did it the right way...kinda) Been active in recovery based meetings etc. for years(LDS 12 steps mostly)
My apologies if it sounds like i'm talking down to anyone. There is just so much mis information out there and i'm passionate about these topics.

[redneckjedi]

My limited understanding of the California law in question is that it only protects you if the disability does not interfere with your ability to perform the actions required by your job. There was plenty of evidence that the alcoholism was affecting Sarkisian's ability to function as the head coach of a football team, such as missing meetings, making a fool of himself while speaking to boosters (and potentially losing their donations), etc. I'd wager that if USC takes him to court, they win.