An Eagan family of a college runner who died by suicide is suing their daughter's cross-country coach at the time and the Florida university she attended, alleging that he tormented her with demeaning comments in emails and texts about her weight and learning challenges.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Florida last week by Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner, the parents of Julia Pernsteiner, who died in her Jacksonville University dorm room on Nov. 8, 2021. Her death came two months after the coach kicked her off the team, the suit contends.
The lawsuit names as defendants the university and former cross-country coach Ronald E. Grigg Jr., who coached women's track and cross-country at the Division I school from 1998 until his sudden resignation in July.
Messages were left Thursday with the law firms representing the school and Grigg. The defendants have yet to file any response in federal court to the allegations. The university said in a statement that it does not comment on pending litigation.
"For Julia, running was a big part of her life and being part of the team was the biggest, most important thing to her," the Pernsteiners said in joint comments released Friday by their attorney. "Julia used running as a key outlet to help her manage her disabilities."
Her long-term ambition, her parents said, was to earn a degree in social sciences and "someday be an inner-city youth coach."
The suit, filed earlier in state court and then moved to federal court, contends that Pernsteiner's constitutional rights were violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act and under Title IX because of discriminatory acts based on her gender.
Pernsteiner took her problems with the 52-year-old Grigg to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office about 2½ weeks before her death, but no charges were filed.