Jonathan Carson
KEARNEY — The former Kearney High School girls basketball coach has filed a lawsuit regarding slander and invasion of privacy.
The suit includes a total of six counts against Amber Garner, a parent of a player who was on Carson’s team and two other unnamed defendants, according to court documents.
Carson is seeking special damages in the amount of $172,920.00, which would equal his coaching salary for the next 20 years. He is also seeking punitive damages in the amount of $1,000,000 from the Kearney school district.
Garner is listed directly in the suit and Carson alleges that she told a Buffalo County resident that Carson was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with one of his players and that he engaged in grooming behavior.
The two unnamed parties in the suit are said to have acted in “reckless disregard,” as to the falsity of the publicized matter and the false light into which Carson was placed.
This new lawsuit comes after Carson had requested depositions from KHS principal Jeff Ganz and KPS Superintendent Jason Mundorf. However, this request was denied by Judge John Marsh on Jan. 29.
“Carson alleges that he is presently unable to bring the action because the identities of the potentially liable parties are unknown,” Marsh wrote.
He also stated that “Carson apparently knows the identify of a person believed to be an adverse party.”
In November, Carson announced his resignation from coaching duties, citing personal reasons. Carson had been on the KHS girls’ basketball coaching staff since 2012, first serving as an assistant coach and then taking over as head coach last year.
Bruner stated in an affidavit, that on Nov. 10, Carson had been informed by KHS principal Ganz that allegations of misconduct had been made against him by members of the Kearney community.
The allegations included an inappropriate relationship with a student or an inferred grooming relationship. Bruner states that these, “were the basis of an ultimatum presented to Mr. Carson: resign or be fired that day.”
During the Dec. 11 Kearney school board meeting, several parents of basketball players appeared and spoke in support of Carson, saying that the allegations against him were unfounded.
Carson himself appeared before the board and alleged that he was the victim of a “tactical witch hunt,” that had forced his resignation.
On Dec. 13, KPS Superintendent Mundorf issued a public statement regarding Carson’s resignation verifying that the allegations had been made by community members.
“To be clear, prior to Coach Carson’s decision to resign, various allegations of professional misconduct were brought forward from the community regarding former coach JD Carson,” Mundorf said in the statement.
“Multiple players were questioned regarding these allegations and multiple players signed affidavits that confirmed these allegations were true. There has never been, nor was there any evidence to suggest that any inappropriate physical relationship occurred between Coach Carson and a player,” Mundorf stated.
“Mr. Carson was removed for legitimate causes,” Mundorf said in the closing paragraph.
