Auburn lost the 2020 Outback Bowl to Minnesota 34-27 but, allegedly, it wasn’t from a lack of bending the rules.
Per AL.com, a discrimination lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Travis Thomas Sr. He worked as director of academic support services in the Auburn athletic department until being fired on March 1. In the lawsuit, Thomas claims that Auburn changed the grade of a graduate transfer — most likely Jay Jay Wilson — from a D to C to keep him eligible for the game.
From Tom Green:
The player “neglected his studies, resulting in receiving bad grades,” according to the filing which did not name him because of FERPA laws, which also claims that the entire coaching staff and members of Auburn’s staff of academic counselors — which Thomas was a part of — were aware of the player’s struggles that semester. Auburn’s football team allegedly needed the grade changed to a passing mark in order for Wilson to be eligible in the Outback Bowl against Minnesota that season. The complaint also alleges that the grade change allowed the program to remain eligible to add graduate transfers to its roster the following offseason.
“Mr. Thomas’s complaint does not include facts to support his allegations of discrimination, and Auburn will not further discuss the details of this personnel matter,” Auburn said in a statement released to AL.com on Monday afternoon. “However, Auburn is compelled to clarify that Mr. Thomas’s complaint includes egregious mischaracterizations regarding the academic record of a student athlete who was under his mentorship. Prior to filing this lawsuit, Auburn informed Mr. Thomas that this information was inaccurate. His decision to make false and damaging statements about a student for his personal benefit cannot be ignored. Auburn will use all available legal resources to protect our students and to defend the University against the allegations in the complaint.”
On Dec. 23, 2019 — a little more than one week before the bowl game — the professor of that course sent an email refusing to change Wilson’s grade. Between the time that email was sent and the New Year’s Day bowl game, however, “said professor was caused to change her mind, or simply changed her mind, and accordingly changed the grade,” which allowed Wilson to play in the Outback Bowl and allegedly permitted Auburn to add graduate transfers to its 2020 roster.
Thomas was aware of the “suspicious” grade change for more than a year, according to the complaint, as were his three white female supervisors — senior associate athletics director Dr. Kathryn Flynn, associate AD Cathie Helmbold and associate AD Courtney Gage. It also alleges that they knew Thomas — identified as an African American male — was aware of the situation, which he claims is one of the reasons his “three white female supervisors wanted him out of the Academic division of the Auburn University Athletic Department.”
The full report can be read here.