Rene Fights Back

[Bball Girl]

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/news?slug=ap-pennst-portland&prov=ap&type=lgns

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland accused a former player and a national gay rights group of waging a negative media campaign that tarnished her and the reputation of the program.
Portland said in a statement Thursday that it was "time to fight back" against the accusations Jennifer Harris and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
"I'm not going to sit silently on the sidelines anymore and let this former player and this national organization spread damaging allegations while they attempt to exploit this case for their own agendas," Portland said in the two-page statement issued through a spokesman.
Portland said she was responding to media coverage after a court-ordered mediation session earlier this week failed to produce a settlement in Harris' lawsuit against the coach.....

[Scamp]

NCLR response seeks coach's immediate dismissal

Lawyers for Jennifer Harris called Thursday night for the immediate dismissal of Rene Portland, alleging that the Penn State women's basketball coach retaliated against Harris in a statement to the Centre Daily Times.

In the written statement Thursday afternoon, Portland said that Harris, a former player, could not "make a positive contribution" to the basketball team.

"This is a statement that is false on its face. And it's clearly in retaliation for Jennifer's filing of a complaint and making serious allegations against (Portland)," said Karen Doering, the senior counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. ...

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/14615233.htm

[DblT81]

Lawyers for Jennifer Harris called Thursday night for the immediate dismissal of Rene Portland, alleging that the Penn State women's basketball coach retaliated against Harris in a statement to the Centre Daily Times.

"This is a statement that is false on its face. And it's clearly in retaliation for Jennifer's filing of a complaint and making serious allegations against (Portland)," said Karen Doering, the senior counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. ...

I'm not on Portland's side, but am I reading this right that the NCLR thinks its OK for them to make all kinds of public statements about Portland, but she can't make any kind of public statement about her accuser?

Perhaps it would be best for both to be quiet and to have the courts decide this matter, but I can hardly blame Portland for speaking up if the NCLR continues to wage a media campaign promoting their position.

Again, I don't agree with what Portland has done but she should have similar rights to present her case.

[MsProudSooner]

Sounds like the judge needs to issue a gag order.

[Scamp]

Women's Hoops blog says that this column provoked Rene's response, which then brought on NCLR's statement.

STRICTLY SPEAKING -- Nick Horvath
Penn State can't afford Portland

My guess is that Rene Portland has coached her last game for the Penn State Lady Lions women's basketball team. And, if she hasn't, she should have.

Despite what you may think of Portland personally, of her career as a player and longtime coach, she is now what every hired hand in any vocation must always seek to avoid becoming.

Expendable. ...

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/columnists/114785641277990.xml&coll=1

[Scamp]

University to remain silent on Portland -- PSU says it will not issue public comment on case

Old Main is staying on the sidelines.

After a week when Rene Portland and her critics traded barbs through the press, the Penn State administration said Friday that it will not publicly discuss the case against the women's basketball coach.

"We have great respect for the judicial process and the extensive procedures that it provides for discovering and establishing the facts which relate to the claims before the court," Penn State general counsel Wendell Courtney said in a prepared statement. ...

On Thursday, Portland launched a vigorous defense of herself through several Pennsylvania newspapers, including the Centre Daily Times. A media consultant, Matt Doherty, is now helping to represent the coach. ...

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/living/education/higher_learning/14625508.htmSo, Rene has hired herself a "spinmeister." :rolleyes:

[Gator]

I finally went and read RP's "attack" and come to the conclusion that either 1) she is calling everyone who has said she made disparaging remarks about gays since '91 a liar, or 2) SHE DOES NOT CONSIDER THE REMARKS SHE MADE TO BE AGAINST UNIVERSITY POLICY.

I can even imagine a logic set which would allow her to hold this second opinion and it goes like this:

1: I (RP - not ME!!) am a good Catholic and as such I think homosexual acts are a sin.

2: The constitution protects my right to my religion even though I have to observe a brick wall between my private attitudes about gays and my actions as an employee of UP which has an anti discrimination policy. I can and have done this...

3: But, when the subject comes up, I can express my personal views as long as I don't discriminate (in my terms) against someone who is gay or who I think is gay.

4: What I "SAY" does not create a hostile, etc., environment and thus is not discriminatory. Folks who think it does don't understand my constitutional right to have a personal religious opinion and to express that opinion. (Note: this piece of the logic allows her to deny that UPs finding that she DID discriminate to be a faulty decision.)

5: I pressured JH to uphold the public image of my team and she saw that as a pressure which she could not deal with. As a result she became disruptive to the team's chemistry and that is the ONLY reason I dismissed her. I did it for the good of the team. (IE, if what I said to "upset" her was not against the U's policy because it arose out of my personal religious beliefs, then of course, my saying it couldn't have created the type of atmosphere which the U calls discriminatory. She has never denied making the statements that I have heard, just denied that she discriminated.)

Bottom line: I (me this time, not RP) tend to believe that RP made the types of statements which folks are reporting and thus is guilty of creating a hostile environment. I also think RP actually believes she is "innocent" and thus filled with righteous indignation over the situation. She is the victim in her view and that makes her very very very angry.

[Scamp]

Good job of diagnosis, "Doctor" Gator!

I recommend reading "O God of Players: the story of the Immaculata Mighty Macs" (by Julie Byrne) to anyone else who is trying to understand Rene Portland. I believe that Rene's four years as a student-athlete, at that tiny, all-women's Catholic college, left her with some weird notions about sexuality. An example: Immaculata had no locker rooms; players arrived for games already dressed out.

"I had two separate conversations with her on the subject. One, I asked her directly why she felt the way she felt. Why she had this stance about not allowing lesbians in the locker rooms, on her team, or in her program. She said that she doesn't want her players to have to make a choice in the locker room. Basically, she almost made it seem, if you have a lesbian on the team, they could be predatorial and force you to make a decision you don't want to have to make, or force you to make a decision that you don't even really want to think about at that point in time, and it can be or is distracting. That was her big thing—distractions."

— Courtney Wicks, played for Portland as a freshman (1996-97), then quit in her sophomore season, in January 1998

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2006-05-11-portland-accusations_x.htm

[sybarite]

I would agree with that, Gator. I am a little surprised that Penn State doesn't mind having its image tarnished.

[Peaceplease]

I'm not on Portland's side, but am I reading this right that the NCLR thinks its OK for them to make all kinds of public statements about Portland, but she can't make any kind of public statement about her accuser?

Perhaps it would be best for both to be quiet and to have the courts decide this matter, but I can hardly blame Portland for speaking up if the NCLR continues to wage a media campaign promoting their position.

Again, I don't agree with what Portland has done but she should have similar rights to present her case.

As the Harris camp is using "retaliation" based on a legal concept......they must believe that they at least have an argument that her remarks are actionable....that such remarks are prohibited by law.......of course, it all depends on what "facts" are proven........Portland will, I am sure, have an opportunity to present her case in Court, if it gets there........it looks like she and the university would be well-advised to settle......and i expect that to happen in mediation........if the university chooses not to go to Court, then I doubt they will foot her legal bills should she decide to do so.......

I don't know what she has or has not done regarding any of the case.....but it sure looks bad for her..

the entire situation is just sad

[NewBearFan2002]

As the Harris camp is using "retaliation" based on a legal concept......they must believe that they at least have an argument that her remarks are actionable....that such remarks are prohibited by law.......of course, it all depends on what "facts" are proven........Portland will, I am sure, have an opportunity to present her case in Court, if it gets there........it looks like she and the university would be well-advised to settle......and i expect that to happen in mediation........if the university chooses not to go to Court, then I doubt they will foot her legal bills should she decide to do so.......

I don't know what she has or has not done regarding any of the case.....but it sure looks bad for her..

the entire situation is just sad


It is my understanding that mediation failed and there will be a court case.

[Peaceplease]

really newbear? I thought it wasn't scheduled until next week but I must have missed something............this thing going to Court will be a nightmare.......if things happened as Harris and others said, the university should have resolved this before it got this far....i can't believe the litigation is good for anyone..........well, of course, this is just my opinion

[NewBearFan2002]

The only one that I can see benefiting is the legal counsel :rolleyes: .

[YCN]

It's also my understanding that both parties have abandoned mediation believing that there is no use in continuing since neither side is willing to budge from their current positions.

It's going to go to court, and it will really make Penn State look bad. Maybe they actually deserve for that to happen, however, since they can't seem to see the forest for the trees.

[Peaceplease]

The only one that I can see benefiting is the legal counsel :rolleyes: .

lol........well I like the NCLR benefiting because I think they do good work and some of it without compensation. I wish for Harris' sake this could have been resolved without going to Court, but I truly believe she will be the victor and thus have some vindication. I am sure she would have been much better off if the university would have addressed her problems. I just hope she is able to get on with her life and work towards her dreams. I do not know if those included playing in the wnba or not. If so, I hope she gets there though I think it will be much tougher for her now.

[Peaceplease]

It's also my understanding that both parties have abandoned mediation believing that there is no use in continuing since neither side is willing to budge from their current positions.

It's going to go to court, and it will really make Penn State look bad. Maybe they actually deserve for that to happen, however, since they can't seem to see the forest for the trees.

No kidding!! Unless things are SO MUCH different than they appear from the stories, the university messed up bad. Wonder who is actually handling this for the university. Wonder if they have outside or inside attorneys and
WHAT KIND of advice they have been given.