In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Duval County, Florida, Lambo claimed that during a practice in August, Meyer “kicked him in the leg and used profanity to insult [him] and warn him to do his kicks. Specifically, [Meyer] would have shouted at [Lambo]’Hey Dips**t, do your fucking kicks!'”
Lambo responded to Meyer, per the suit, telling the coach, “‘Don’t ever fuckin’ kick me again!’ ” [Meyer] replied, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever I want.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times in December, Meyer denied that what Lambo said was accurate.
“Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer told the newspaper. “(General Manager) Trent (Baalke) and I have met him on several occasions to encourage his performance, and it has never been brought up. I have fully supported Josh during his time with the team and wish him no only the best.”
The lawsuit alleges Lambo told the Jaguars about the incident through his agent, Richard Irvin, but the team ‘did not initiate an investigation’ or ‘intervene in the close working conditions’ between the two.
The lawsuit claims that Meyer “initiated a pattern of harassment and created a hostile work environment.” The former coach threatened to cut Lambo, the lawsuit claims, “if he objected to his behavior or challenged his authority again.”
Complaint says Meyer continued to verbally harass the kicker and used “bullying tactics to distract [him] as he practiced the kicks.” Lambo “felt the stress” of “the coach’s retaliatory actions, which affected [Lambo’s] ability to sleep, train and do his job as he had in previous seasons under different coaches,” according to the complaint.
CNN has reached out to Meyer and the Jaguars for comment.
Jacksonville cut Lambo in October after the kicker missed all three field goal attempts in the first three weeks of the 2021 season. The suit said his missed field goals “caused the Jaguars no loss.”
According to the filing, Lambo’s release would have violated Florida’s Private Sector Whistleblower Act “regarding assault, battery and workplace violence in the interest of an employer.”
After being cut, the lawsuit alleges that Lambo “suffered professional ramifications, including loss of wages, benefits and other compensation, as well as extreme emotional and mental distress due to the harassment, environmental of hostile labor and retaliation” from the Jaguars.
Lambo seeks “overdue” damages. According to Spotrac, Lambo’s salary for the 2021 season was $3.5 million.
The Jaguars fired Meyer in December after just 13 games (2-11) in his first NFL coaching season.
At the time of his dismissal, team owner Shad Kahn said in a statement: “A thorough analysis of Urban’s entire tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to come to the conclusion that “Immediate change is imperative for everyone. I informed Urban of the change tonight. As I said in October, regaining our trust and respect was key. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
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