Former Rutgers Basketball Employee Reaches $500K Settlement

The settlement stems from a 2012 player mistreatment controversy at the school.
Published: September 1, 2016

A former employee of the Rutgers University basketball team settled his wrongful termination lawsuit for $500,000 three years after its filing.

Eric Murdock, the former Rutgers director of player development who started a player mistreatment controversy at the school in 2012, settled the lawsuit last month, reports nj.com.

Murdock was fired in 2012 after he released practice video to ESPN showing former head coach Mike Rice throwing basketballs at his players and directing slurs at them.

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The video sparked a controversy that led to Rice’s firing and former Athletic Director Tim Pernetti stepping down. An independent report was also conducted and called for the school to maintain closer supervision of its athletic programs.

Rutgers officials had maintained that Murdock’s one-year contract wasn’t renewed, although the settlement documents have not been released.

The settlement is the second related to Rice’s conduct. Earlier in the year a former player settled a lawsuit for $300,000 after claiming Rice physically and psychologically abused him despite the coach’s knowledge of the player’s learning disabilities. Rutgers admitted no wrongdoing in that settlement.

Rice had previously been suspended and fined for his conduct, but was fired a day after Murdock leaked video of his actions.

Murdock had initially sought $950,000 when he filed the lawsuit in 2013.

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