Lawmaker Tied To Leach Seeks Opinion On Contracts
LUBBOCK (AP) A state lawmaker wants the Texas attorney general to consider whether private money given to public institutions, including large sums tied up in lucrative athletic contracts, should be controlled by legislators.
Rep. Craig Eiland said Tuesday he asked two colleagues to seek the opinion after Texas Tech claimed sovereign immunity in a lawsuit filed by fired football coach Mike Leach.
In a news release, Eiland questioned how a school could claim immunity when private funds supplemented Leach's contract. He didn't immediately comment further.
Eiland has filed a bill that would allow Leach to sue for monetary damages after courts ruled against the former coach.
Eiland says a ruling also could affect a $300 million contract between the University of Texas and ESPN to create the Longhorn Network.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
