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Saturday, August 11, 2007

"OSU Played Better Basketball
When Only the Coach Drank"




Tulsa World:

'A Perry woman who was injured in a traffic collision in Stillwater last year with former OSU men's basketball coach Eddie Sutton is suing the university for negligently allowing him to drive under the influence of alcohol.

In a lawsuit filed in Payne County District Court, Teresa Jean Barnard, 44, alleges that "OSU's athletic, medical, security and police staff negligently assisted, enabled and allowed" Sutton to operate an Oklahoma State University vehicle "while Sutton was under the influence of alcohol and/or other intoxicating substances."

She is seeking more than $10,000 in damages in the lawsuit...

OSU Director of Communications Gary Shutt said Thursday, "At this point, we're not making any comment regarding the matter."

In addition to the university, Barnard named as individual defendants in the lawsuit: Sutton; OSU police officers Justin Hart and James Battles Jr.; OSU Center for Health Sciences physicians Thomas Allen and Robert Distefano; and former OSU Associate Athletic Director Joe Muller.

Barnard's lawsuit alleges that "OSU was negligent in its hiring, training and supervision of its athletic staff, medical staff, security and police staff that assisted and enabled Sutton into OSU's vehicle on Feb. 10, 2006."



Witnesses told police that about 15 minutes before the collision, Sutton became unsteady on his feet as he was leaving OSU's Gallagher-Iba Arena and struck his head when he fell in the parking lot.

Sutton refused an ambulance and insisted instead on driving himself to the Stillwater airport, a police report said.

As a precursor to the lawsuit, Barnard had filed a tort claim Feb. 5 in which she sought more than $125,000 in damages from the state.

OSU denied that claim by failing to approve it within 90 days, according to Barnard's lawsuit.

In the tort claim, Barnard wrote that she sprained her spine, sprained and tore her right knee, injured her right hip and suffered headaches as well as mental anguish.



Sutton, 71, of Stillwater pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated drunken driving, driving left of center and speeding. Sutton's blood-alcohol level after the accident was nearly three times the legal driving limit of 0.08, court records show.

He was placed on probation for a year as part of a plea bargain that required him to undergo extended inpatient alcohol-abuse treatment.

He paid $1,438 in fines and court costs and attended a victim impact panel in Stillwater, as ordered by the court.

All of the charges were dismissed, and the record of his case was expunged in May when Special District Judge Michael Stano ruled that Sutton had successfully completed his one-year probation. [Nice!]

On May 19, 2006, two weeks after Sutton entered his plea, he retired with 798 career coaching wins, ranking fifth in NCAA history.'


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Local comments on the story [UD's fixed their writing errors]:

1. 8/10/2007 7:24:28 AM, Doug, College Station, TX

... Eddie is the Lindsey Lohan of Oklahoma. Look at the current problems of the OSU basketball team -- they are just following their role model. With his history and behavior he should not even be allowed to drive a car without some device on his car that prevents drunks from driving. Every student who gets a DUI in Payne County this school year should get the Eddie Sutton deal. I bet ole Eddie would sue and demand jail time if a drunk driver caused pain to his family. OSU played better basketball when only the coach drank. Way to go OSU -- once again, you have showed coaches and players are above the law.


2. 8/10/2007 1:25:46 PM, David, Moore, OK

Doug, I couldn't agree with you more. This "coach" was on the job and OSU should be punished to the full extent of the law. Double standards all the way around. What a total disgrace to the state and the university. Imagine drinking on the job and then getting in your car to ... meet with your team for a flight to a game. How many times do you think this sorry alcoholic has done that throughout the years? Eddie belongs in the hall of shame.


3. 8/10/2007 2:51:35 PM, CW, Tulsa

I think Eddie Sutton should pay the consequences for his crime, even if that means jail time on top of paying fines and participating in the victim's panel. But instead of slamming Sutton for "getting away" with something because of who he is, throw some blame to the law enforcement agencies and/or the legal system for "letting him get away" with something because of who he is. To me the accountability includes several. Doug, as for references to drinking by OSU players and/or coaching staff members, you need to remember that alcohol consumption is something done by athletes and staff members at other universities across the country as well. It's just that in this case it grabbed media attention and wasn't "swept under the carpet" as is most usually the case. I support the lawsuit as justice must be served; however, I will forever remain an OSU Cowboy fan.