Judge dismisses lawsuit against Mike Leach by former WSU football player

August 20, 2019 2:20 PM

Erin Robinson and Evan Ellis (Pullman Radio)

Posted: August 20, 2019 2:20 PM

Updated: May 20, 2021 10:55 AM

by Erin Robinson and Evan Ellis (Pullman Radio)

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Mike Leach by former WSU football player — Washington State University

PULLMAN, Wash. — A lawsuit against Washington State University head football coach Mike Leach has been dismissed by a judge, Pullman News reported Friday.

Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey dismissed the suit filed by Zaire Webb, a former WSU football player, in a written decision filed Thursday.

Libey listened to arguments during a summary judgment hearing in Colfax last week.

Webb originally sued Leach and WSU in March of 2018 over his removal from the program. Webb and a teammate were kicked off the team in October of 2017 after they were arrested for reportedly stealing from Walmart.

Webb appealed Leach’s decision, but lost before the WSU Student-Athlete Appeals Committee. Leach submitted a statement explaining what is commonly referred to as his “three deadly sins.” Stealing is among the team rule violations that result in a player getting kicked off the team.

Webb’s suit alleged Leach did not consistently apply his “three deadly sins” rules. The suit cited several instances, including the Logan Tago case. Tago spent a month in jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge. He admitted to mugging a former teammate for beer. Tago was not kicked off the team.

Webb’s suit claimed his dismissal from the team was a breach of contract and that his due process rights were denied. Libey agreed, but dismissed the case on immunity grounds.

The misdemeanor theft case against Webb was dropped by the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office due to lack of evidence.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Judge Libey disagreed with Webb’s claims about his dismissal from the team.