Jonathan Coachman cited in lawsuit filed by former ESPN employee, Coachman and WWE issue statements

Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2018/03/06/jonathan-coachman-cited-in-lawsuit-filed-by-former-espn-employee-coachman-and-wwe-issue-statements/

On Monday night, the Boston Globe reported that former ESPN employee, Adrienne Lawrence, had filed a lawsuit in Connecticut U.S. District Court alleging that she was a victim of sexual discrimination and harassment.

The full suit has been posted on Google Drive.

In the suit, there are numerous allegations outlined, including ones involving current Raw announcer Jonathan Coachman. The following was listed in Sections 125 and 126 of the suit:

On or around January 18, 2016, SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman (“Coachman”) emailed Ms. Lawrence offering to provide her with mentorship and providing his cellphone number. When he contacted her via text, he quickly turned a professional conversation into a personal matter, asking her about her musical interests. He was employing the ESPN predators’ playbook. Colleagues then cautioned Ms. Lawrence that Coachman was notorious for sexually harassing female employees. After learning that, Ms. Lawrence made an effort to communicate to Coachman that she had a boyfriend, after which she did not hear from him again and he made no offers of mentorship.

Coachman’s reputation for making unwelcome sexual advances to ward women and engaging in other sexually harassing behavior was not a secret. Cary Chow had warned Ms. Lawrence about him when he gave the short list of men at ESPN who were notorious for sexual harassment. Coachman had sent Walsh inappropriate photos of himself and text messages, falsely telling her colleagues that they were romantically involved and that she “wanted” him – another common practice of men at ESPN.

On Tuesday morning, Jonathan Coachman vehemently denied these allegations with a series of statements posted on Twitter:

I will address this only once because I am seething today. In 21 years of being a PROFESSIONAL I have never been more offended in my life. I my 9 years I can count on one hand the amount of times I interacted with anyone other than a co-anchor. To allow someone to spread vicious. Lies and flat out fabrications is not ok and it’s time someone stood up for themselves. @jemelehill addressed her lie last night. I am not a part of this lawsuit because I have never done anything wrong. My reputation speaks for itself and anyone that has ever worked with me will back that up. I am also offended that someone can dangerously throw peoples names into something for the clear attempt at getting headlines. This the only time I will address this because I am not a part of this lawsuit. My heart goes out to anyone falsely accused of anything. Trust me it doesn’t feel good. But most of you have been incredible and supportive. Onward and upward.

POST Wrestling reached out to both Coachman the WWE on Monday for a statement or response to the story. The WWE issued us the following statement:

We take these matters very seriously and are investigating.

“You like music?” “That’s harassment!!!”…that’s quite a giant leap.

Hang on there fella, hold your misogynistic horses.

He offered her mentorship. He quickly turned his offer of professional guidance into a more personal friendship. She declined to start a personal relationship. Suddenly, Coach no longer contacts her in regards to helping her career.

Now, if the story is true, we come to one of two conclusions; the first is that Coach had no real intention of mentoring the woman, he was just after a more personal arrangement. The second conclusion, and the more sinister, is that Coach was going to use his position of power to offer opportunities and guidance in exchange for more a personal relationship.

Obviously, that is only if the accusations are true and why the allegations are potentially very serious.

Alot of assumption there.

Especially when the ladys other stories were said to be false in this very case.

Berman leaving a racist message to Jemelle Hill…quickly refuted by Hill herself.

These major leaps about what constitutes sexual harassment really derails the real victims. This isn’t exactly the Michael Elgin situation here.

As I said, it it’s true then it’s pretty damning. And those are pretty easy assumptions to make.

Put yourself in the accuser’s shoes; if someone offered to mentor you through a career path, but then they stopped any notion of wanting to help after you had made it clear that you were only after a professional relationship, wouldn’t you feel somewhat harassed, empty and helpless?

Empty and helpless? I’d hope I’d get more credit than that tbh. Women are not helpless.

But I have a solution if they are as victimized and helpless as suggested. Zero small talk in the work place, no more bantering in offices and no one contacts anyone after work hours…there I solved it.

Women can’t do the same either. We have to be fair and balanced after all. Matter of fact, zero contact between all employees and everything is strictly in written form. Then at least you have something measurably to investigate if such incidents and allegations occur.

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I don’t think you understand the situation. This isn’t about small talk or making friends in the office. This is someone who, according to the accuser, withdrew any mentorship or career help purely based on not being able to have a personal relationship with that person.

Situation is more like someone being lamented a creep for asking someone what they’re musical taste is.

Lot of assumptions being made here, another could be "he asked someone what music they like, being told “I gotta boyfriend” and running from someone who makes conclusions like that.

Again, you’re not getting the point. Colour me surprised.

Sorry I give more women credit and don’t think of them as helpless victims.

Guess that’s my bad.

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Read it through again, fella.

What’s not to get? A guy asking what music someone likes…getting called a predator because of it.

I said thats quite a leap…and you leapt and painted an assumption based scenario.

Way to go all youtube commenter.

If you’re boss said to you, “Hey sport, I can take you places”

And you replied, “Ah great!”

“So kiddo, what’s your fave movies?”

“I’d rather we keep this professional, sir”

silence Oh look, that offer of mentoship has gone and people have similar tales of him where he eventually started advancing sexually on other employees. You wouldn’t question that?

Or…someone tries to make small talk…someone says “keep it professional” so the other person goes “get over yourself buh bye”.

What other similar tales are there besides “he’s known as a creep”…tangible evidence please. Hearsay doesn’t work in matters like this.

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I’ve done something similar and the other person has respected my wishes and they still helped where they said they would. Anyone who can’t understand that should be the one to ‘get over themselves’.

Tangible evidence? Oh sweetie…

So leaving someone alone after that, isn’t respecting a request? Naw that person who did thar was a creepy harasser…open your eyes. :roll_eyes:

Internet Lynch mob in a nutshell…who needs evidence? We got hearsay…mount up.

No. Offering someone a helping hand and then shunning them because they only want a professional relationship is awful practice and would make me think either “Huh, that was creepy” or “Huh, that person is an egotistical, manipulative brat”.

Please point out where I said I 100% believed these accusations. Go on sweetheart.

I’m offended by your use of “sweetheart” first off…how dare you try marginalize my character with such misogynistic terms demeaning my character like that…I feel like I earned an apology over such a demeaning term. :roll_eyes:

Secondly. …you’re the one who threw out the scenarios and assumptions even when given the berman story being debunked by the alleged victim of said act…sure sounds like letting the story get in the way of facts and judging a case before the evidence is given…hearsay is thrown out of court…opinion isn’t supposed to be a factor in court.

Sounds like a Lynch mob to me…Circle the wagons.

Sure thing, small fry.

Zero attempt to talk about Jemelle Hill negating the Berman story in this same lawsuit…but ok.

Coach’s guilty because I don’t like him - online fan