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For some former players, a sense of sadness

"I didn't want that to happen to her,'' Avia Lee says of Winters losing her job. "I just wanted something to be done.''

By ANTONYA ENGLISH and DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 15, 2000

TAMPA -- Several former USF players who filed lawsuits and formal complaints against coach Jerry Ann Winters said Thursday that Winters' firing gives validity to their racial discrimination claims against her.

"It definitely adds credibility to our cases," said former assistant coach Tara Gibson, who has an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint pending against Winters and USF. "It's one step closer to resolving the issue."

Winters was fired after the university denied her appeal of a recent Equal Opportunity Affairs report. That report found a "reasonable cause" to believe Winters dismissed black former player Dione Smith in retaliation for Smith's racial discrimination complaints against Winters and former assistant coach Ron Gathright in late 1998 and early 1999.

Sam Horton, president of the NAACP's Hillsborough County branch, said Winters' dismissal confirmed suspicions he had that there were racial problems within the women's basketball program.

"The NAACP has been involved in this case for some time and we always sensed that there was something going on," Horton said. "In hindsight, it's perhaps best that the university (fired Winters) so they can clean up their act and move on.

"We don't regret anyone being fired, but in light of their decision (that Winters retaliated against Smith), we support their decision."

Despite their claims that Winters' alleged racial discrimination made some of their lives hellish and frequently drove them to tears, several black former players expressed mixed feelings about Winters' firing.

Avia Lee, one of eight players suing Winters and USF, called Winters a "racist" when the players' allegations first became public. But she appeared compassionate toward Winters Thursday.

"I didn't want that to happen to her," Lee said of Winters losing her job. "I just wanted something to be done. ... I grieve for her, but that's nothing I really wanted."

Added Smith: "I wasn't happy about it."

Current USF players could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Lisa Walker, the former basketball office secretary who backed up the players' claims, said Winters' firing could have been avoided.

"It shouldn't have happened. It should have been handled long ago," said Walker, who was reassigned to a position outside the athletic department, "so I have tremendous feelings and emotions in my heart for her."

Jonathan L. Alpert, who is representing the eight former players and Gibson, expressed little satisfaction with Winters' termination. He continued to assert that his clients' racial discrimination charges extend beyond Winters.

"I wish I could say we can begin the healing process in this community, but we can't begin the healing process until the racism at an institutional level is over," Alpert said. " ... It is clear from the written record that the highest officials of the University of South Florida were aware of the problem in April of 1999 or September 1999 or earlier, and did nothing. And it is clear that there was a coverup ... "

Added former player Charmain Leslie, an Alpert client: "Just because she got fired, it's not doing anything. It's now time for the university to realize we've got a problem and we've really got to do something about it."

While Alpert was pleased with the university's offer Thursday to allow Smith to return to the team for her senior season, he said he was disappointed the university didn't address his other clients' legal claims.

"I look at the offer to Dione as disingenuous, not genuine because of the serious injury that has been done to (his clients)," Alpert said. "Where is their redress? Where is their justice? Where is the concern for them?"

USF chronology

LATE 1998-EARLY 1999: Players complain to assistant athletic director Hiram Green about racial discrimination by women's basketball coach Jerry Ann Winters.

EARLY 1999: Green begins investigation of players' discrimination claims.

APRIL 1999: Green concludes a racial undertone existed within the program and reports his findings to athletic director Paul Griffin.

OCT. 4, 1999: Winters and the team participate in a four-hour diversity training session.

OCTOBER 1999: Winters is given a two-year contract extension by Griffin.

APRIL 10, 2000: Winters dismisses point guard Dione Smith from the team.

APRIL 26, 2000: Smith contacts the university's Equal Opportunity Affairs (EOA) office alleging Winters dismissed her in retaliation for her racial discrimination complaints.

AUG. 22, 2000: EOA unsuccessfully attempts to mediate the matter.

AUG. 24, 2000: Smith files federal racial discrimination lawsuit against Winters, Griffin and USF.

AUG. 28, 2000: Smith files formal complaint against Winters with the EOA.

SEPT. 25, 2000: Former assistant coach Tara Gibson files an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against Winters and USF alleging she was not retained because of her race.

SEPT. 27, 2000: Former player Avia Lee files a federal racial discrimination lawsuit against Winters and USF.

OCT. 10, 2000: Former players LaTonya Greer and Patrice Coleman file federal racial discrimination lawsuits against Winters and USF.

OCT. 12, 2000: USF begins investigation into claims by former players that the coaching staff allowed them to make personal long-distance phone calls from the basketball office, a possible NCAA violation.

OCT. 24, 2000: Former players Tanya Gary and Tamekia Williams file federal racial discrimination lawsuits against Winters and USF.

OCT. 25, 2000: Griffin suspends Winters with pay after EOA report finds reasonable cause to believe Winters dismissed Smith in retaliation.

NOV. 15, 2000: Two former Arkansas State players, who played under Winters, publicly claim Winters discriminated against the team's black players.

NOV. 16, 2000: Winters issues a formal appeal of the university's EOA report.

NOV. 22, 2000: Former players Charmain Leslie and LaToya Ward file federal racial discrimination lawsuits against Winters and USF.

DEC. 14, 2000: Winters is fired after her EOA appeal is denied.

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