MONCKS CORNER, S.C.–One month after Jeffrey Cruce was let go as Berkeley High School’s athletic director and head football coach, he has now filed a civil lawsuit against the Berkeley County School District alleging wrongful termination. Cruce is requesting a jury trial.
When Cruce was let go from his position in mid-December, there was no indication by the principal, Steven Steele, that Cruce had ever had any performance problems related to his position, the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit also claims that prior to Cruce’s termination, his personal file had no record of any disciplinary actions for job performance issues.
Cruce stresses in the lawsuit that he had a strained relationship with the principal Steve Steele right from the very beginning. Almost immediately after becoming principal, the lawsuit alleges that Steele told Cruce that “I really don’t like you.”
When Cruce asked Steele why he did not like him, Steel reportedly complained about two incidents: one had occurred eleven years earlier in 2001 when Steele had been an assistant coach. Steele allegedly blamed Cruce for reporting him to the head coach after Steele supposedly talked badly about the head coach behind his back.
The second incident, Steele reportedly told Cruce he was still angry about an incident in 2005 where Cruce questioned Steele’s ability to run a quality track meet. The lawsuit claims Steele reportedly told Cruce he had been very offended when Cruce had questioned his ability to run the track meet.
After becoming principal, the lawsuit alleges Steele refused to talk to Cruce after football games and there was very little communication during the week between them.
Steele reportedly told Cruce that he frequently talked with Cruce’s critics in the community and that some people in the community did not like him.
According to the lawsuit, Cruce became so discouraged at Steele’s obvious disdain for him, that he finally filed a formal grievance against Steele in 2013. Cruce says another reason for his grievance was due to Steele’s alleged threats to fire him every time the BHS football team lost a game.
The day after Cruce filed the grievance in 2013, the lawsuit states Steele terminated Cruce for reportedly “wanting to go in a different direction with the football program.” However, former Superintendent Dr. Rodney Thompson reversed the termination within 24 hours. Cruce agreed to withdraw his 2013 grievance after he was reinstated by Thompson.
On December 16, 2015, after Dr. Thompson left his employment with BCSD and it had hired a new superintendent, Steele is said to have terminated Cruce as athletic director and football coach for the second time. .
Cruce claims he was terminated a second time because Steele reportedly wanted to dictate the style of coaching for the football program, which he claims meant requiring more hitting in practice, regardless of Cruce’s reported objections and stated goals of preventing –practice-related injuries and fatigue in his football players.
The lawsuit also claims Steele told the community he was fired for having a losing season in 2015, despite the school winning the region championship the previous season. Cruce claims that his job description for the position of athletic director and head coach did not require that a winning record be maintained every year.
Cruce had been with the district for 25 years and served as a head football coach in the district for 20 years.
The Berkeley Observer is currently waiting on a comment to the lawsuit from the Berkeley County School District.
To read the lawsuit in its entirety, click here.
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