Tenn. lawyers ask to have Peyton Manning's name removed from suit

Lawyers for the University of Tennessee have filed a motion asking that all allegations and references to former quarterback Peyton Manning be removed from a lawsuit that was brought by six women earlier this month.

The suit, which accuses the university of creating a hostile sexual environment through indifference toward assaults by student-athletes, accuses Manning of sexually assaulting a female associate trainer while she was looking at an injury.

University of Tennessee lawyers say adding the Manning allegation to the suit, which includes four women accusing student-athletes of sexual assault, is frivolous since the allegation is 20 years old.

The suit says Manning’s time as a student-athlete is "immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous" and was included in "a misguided (and unfortunately successful) attempt to generate publicity." Overall, University of Tennessee lawyers say Manning was added to the suit to create negative press coverage.

According to the lawsuit, Jamie Naughright (then Jamie Whited), the first female associate trainer at UT, reported to the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Knoxville that Manning had "sat on her face" while she was tending to his ankle in 1996. The incident was privately settled for an undisclosed amount in 1997 and Naughright was forced to leave her job at the school.

The other cases in the suit occurred between 2013 and 2015.

University of Tennessee lawyers argue that keeping Manning in the lawsuit would only be relevant if the court found that Manning committed sexual assault and to this point there has been no evidence the accusors have proof to do so. The lawyers assert taking Manning out of the lawsuit would streamline the suit and keep both Naughright and Manning out of the spotlight.

For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.

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