VCU Coach Fired For Being Gay?

From GayRVA:

For eight years James Finley went to work for VCU’s women’s volleyball team. For eight years he poured his heart and soul into his team of women. And on Monday November 19th, James Finley was fired. Finley says the reasons for his contract termination are simple. It wasn’t his winning record. It wasn’t his personal commitment to the team. It wasn’t the move to a tougher competing conference his team earned under his guidance. According to Finley, it was because he was openly gay.

Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin came into VCU’s athletics department in July 2012. He was hailed for his previous work at Niagara University, American University, and Merrimack College. VCU’s bio page for McLaughlin quotes him saying ““We have the ability to have a national impact in everything we do, and do it without compromise.” Unfortunately, to people like Finley, that lack of compromise includes not having LGBT individuals on his staff.

The VCU Women’s Volleyball season went well for Finley. He and his women entered the Atlantic 10 Conference, a step up in difficulty and glory from their previous seasons in the CAA. People picked the Rams to take 6th place. Instead they took 3rd, with a final record of 25-6 overall in the regular season- they got as far as the semi finals – a solid standing for a team in their first A10 championship.

On Nov. 19th, the Monday after they returned from the championships, Coach Finley had a message waiting for him from AD McLaughlin’s secretary. “They wanted a confidential meeting,” said Finley. He figured it was to discuss his contract renewal – most VCU coaches are on year-to-year contracts, and at the end of seasons, coaches and administration get together to discuss their future together.

Last year’s conversation between Finley and the former AD went normally. “They asked me to win more and have a better APR – graduation rate,” said Finley. “And we had a perfect graduation score and a 25-6 season.”

But when Finley met with McLaughlin this time, the conversation was different. “He said they wanted to go in a different direction,” said Finley. The new direction did not include Finley as the head coach of his team. It did not include Finley on staff at all.

This is why Virginia needs an employment non-discrimination act that protects the LGBT community from bigotry like this. I wasn't full convinced until I read what the actual team members had to say about the situation, the coach, and the athletic director. It is pretty damning.