JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University and a former track and cross country coach there are responding to a lawsuit claiming the school ignored the coach’s “malicious” behavior for years because of his competitive record.
The lawsuit was filed by the parents of JU runner Julia Pernsteiner, who died by suicide in November 2021. She alleged the coach emotionally abused her and other athletes, even speaking to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police officer about it weeks before her death.
The defendants haven’t given responses to the allegations yet, but they have filed to move the case to federal court because it involves federal statutes. A Jacksonville attorney says that means it’s likely the case will be heard by a judge rather than a jury, which could result in a lower settlement for the plaintiffs.
Speaking to a JSO officer in October 2021 about her former cross country coach, Pernsteiner said he removed her from the team because of her grades, but she said it was actually because she was whistleblower. She said he would berate her on the phone.
“Everyone here is done with you, like you’re the slowest f****** runner on the planet, like you’re an awful person, like all this stuff, just like yelling at me,” Pernsteiner told JSO.
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According to an incident report, Pernsteiner notified a doctor through an online portal that she was being abused by her coach and felt unsafe.
A JSO Officer followed up, meeting with her at the JU Student Affairs Office.
During the conversation, the officer explained that the emotional abuse Pernsteiner alleges against her and other runners isn’t a crime.
“You’re right that it is very terrible, very bad. So in terms of police, that’s not the next step,” the officer said,.
The student’s parents, Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner, spoke to I-TEAM investigator Vic Micolucci in August.
“She was getting ahold of a ton of former athletes, employees and stuff. She was taking their statements, she knew she wasn’t alone. And she saw the big picture of all that,” Lynne Pernsteiner said previously. “So I think she saw how much she had and felt that nobody was doing anything...it was very hard for her.”
The Pernsteiners filed a lawsuit against JU and the coach earlier this year, alleging their daughter’s grades slipped because JU didn’t provide the required support for her learning disabilities and that the school failed to properly supervise the coach.
Attorney Curtis Fallgatter, who is not affiliated with the case, says the defendants do have the ability to move the case to federal court because the plaintiffs live out of state and because the case deals with federal laws.
“One is the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, which, of course, is one of the grounds, and the other is Title IX, which is the education statute that governs all universities in the United States,” Fallgatter explained.
The officer wrote in the incident report that Julia Pernsteiner brought up the issues to school personnel, “who are completing their own investigation.” That investigation eventually prompted the coach to resign.
A request for comment from the attorney representing the coach was not returned by publication of this article.
In a statement, a spokesperson for JU says the community continues to mourn Julia Pernsteiner’s tragic death and they sympathize with the Pernsteiner family for their loss. They said, per University policy, they do not comment on pending litigation.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. To reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988, and you will be connected with a trained crisis counselor. Or you can use Lifeline Chat on the web. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.