Former MU assistant track and field coach suing for racial discrimination

A former MU assistant track and field coach is suing the University of Missouri Board of Curators; the head coach of Mizzou track and field, Brett Halter, and Halter’s supervisor, Mitzi Clayton, for racial discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Boone County and claims the “defendants instituted a continuous practice of exhibiting discriminatory and demeaning behavior toward black athletes and staff members, including Plaintiff.”

According to the lawsuit, Carjay Lyles says he was hired as an assistant track and field coach in 2013. From 2014-2016, he says he was the only African American on staff.

“Since the first day, my boss – Head Coach of Track and Field, Brett Halter – would refer to African Americans as ‘you people,'” the lawsuit states.

Lyles claims in the suit that he received his year end review on July 1, 2015. He says there was “not a single negative comment written.”

“In approximately Fall 2015, Halter and his boss, Mitzi Clayton, were going around and telling other people to stay away from me,” Lyles says in the suit. “Also around this time, Halter asked if I would go to his house and lay grass seed. When I declined, Halter responded, ‘I live at MKT and Katy Trail and if I have one more K, you sure won’t be coming because three Ks in a row, there won’t be any of you coming.”

Lyles says he attended a staff meeting on Feb. 15, 2016. He says Halter yelled at him, cut him off, threw papers on the table in Lyles’ direction, kicked a trash can and slammed doors while storming out of the meeting.

After that incident, Lyles says he had a meeting with HR and addressed several racial issues.

According ot the lawsuit, Lyles claims that in April 2016, Disa Nichols, a runner for a sports agent, was “calling various athletes on the team and threatening them to make false allegations against” Lyles.

“Nichols was telling athletes that Respondents would revoke their immigration papers if they did not make the false allegations. Likewise, Nichols told athletes they needed to contact HR and contradict the complaints I had made,” the lawsuit states.

Lyles claims in the lawsuit that former Athletic Director Mack Rhoades held a meeting with Halter after several athletes spoke to him about the way he was treating Lyles.

“Rhoades held a meeting with Halter and the administrative staff, stating that I was being treated unfairly by the coaching staff,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Lyles was informed that there were issues with his coaching when he received his year-end review in August 2016.

“Even though the portion of the team that I coached had great success, I was the only coach that did not receive a title promotion, a pay raise or a contract extention,” Lyles states in the suit.

Lyles says he also wrote a letter to the MU chancellor about his experience and spoke to a senior executive in the athletic department.

On July 6, 2017, Lyles says he was “constructively discharged” because he couldn’t take the treatment anymore. He also claims that he was turned down for a job as head coach of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill because one interviewer on the panel went to undergraduate school at MU and disapproved of Lyles reporting Halter’s behavior.

In a statement, the University of Missouri says, “We can’t discuss pending litigation. However, the University of Missouri has a strong anti-discrimination policy and has worked hard to address any concerns through our Office of Civil Rights & Title IX. Anyone who believes they are experiencing any inappropriate behavior is encouraged to contact the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, which will investigate any allegations.”

Lyles’ attorney said they cannot comment on pending litigation, but are confident the truth will come out.