Hunter
06/09/22
West High School girls’ tennis coach Amie Villarini is suing the Iowa City Community School District for defamation and breach of contract.
The Press-Citizen reports that the suit was filed last week, saying that statements made by former players about her conduct as coach in April were false and defamatory. Villarini says she requested the school district remove the video of the meeting from their website, but have not complied.
The April 12th meeting featured a junior at the school describing being touched on her back and thighs by Villarini that made her uncomfortable. She and another student accused the District of not adequately addressing their concerns when they were brought to the board.
The board concluded that no inappropriate contact occurred, thus leading to Villarini saying the comments were slanderous. She said they exposed her to public hatred and hindered her ability to do her job. Villarini also alleges that employees and agents of the District have made other improper and defamatory statements about her work as a tennis coach.
West’s girls tennis team started nearly from scratch at the beginning of the season, after eight of the nine eligible players from the 2021 state-tournament team opted not to return.
Reports from KCRG TV in May reported that the former players blamed Villarini’s coaching style, which they claim was discouraging and bullying.
Jay Mascardo, a junior, told the TV station that seeing Villarini making teammates cry in front of everyone was “sickening,” and she felt afraid to stand up to her because she feared retaliation. Another who did try to stand up for her teammates said that she would be “punished” by being sat out during a meet or getting moved down in the lineup.
The newspaper says that Villarini is seeking unspecified damages for “loss of reputation; loss of income; future loss of earning capacity, past and future medical expenses; past and future physical and mental pain and suffering, including loss of enjoyment of life.” As of Wednesday, the full video of the April 12 School Board meeting remains on its YouTube channel. It has more than 1,200 views.