McAdoo Files Lawsuit against University of North Carolina

Michael McAdoo, a former University of North Carolina football player, has filed a lawsuit against the school on the grounds that the school failed to provide him and other athletes a quality education. The class-action lawsuit was filed this week in US District Court in Charlotte.

According to McAdoo, the school had guaranteed him a good education while being recruited by football coaches. However, he claims that he was guided toward sham classes and was asked to consider three options, one of which was African-American Studies. McAdoo’s attorney says, “We’re not out to vilify UNC. We’re trying to restore the student-athlete principle that UNC’s really been for so long in the forefront of.”

McAdoo played football at UNC from 2008 to 2010 but was ruled ineligible in 2010 for academic violations connected to a tutor who was providing improper assistance on a certain research paper for class.

A detailed report prepared by U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein, outlines how more than 3100 athletes at UNC took no-show classes in the formerly named African and Afro-American studies department for nearly two decades. The report highlights how these classes resulted in artificially high grades and the school faculty and administrators looked the other way.

The report also reveals that nearly half of the students enrolled in these bogus classes were athletes. The athletic staff steered players to classes when they saw them struggling to meet the grades that were required to continue playing.

McAdoo also states in the lawsuit that UNC coaches and other representatives enticed the student athletes to sign agreements that promised a legitimate UNC education. But instead they were guided toward a shadow curriculum of bogus courses that were specifically designed to provide enrollees high grades. There were hundreds of courses which never involved a professor.

The lawsuit also claims that UNC has reaped significant profits from their student athletes but has provided them nothing in return. It is thus a breach of contract and is in violation of North Carolina law. The lawsuit accuses the school of fraud by promising a legitimate education and failing to do so.