A lawyer for 13 Black former Iowa football players announced Thursday that he has filed a lawsuit alleging his clients suffered racial discrimination under longtime coach Kirk Ferentz.
The plaintiffs, including former star running back Akrum Wadley and career receptions leader Kevonte Martin-Manley, suffered “serious and pervasive discriminatory treatment and harassment,” according to a press release from attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons.
They allege they were demeaned with racial slurs, forced to abandon Black hairstyles, fashion and culture to fit the “Iowa Way” promoted by Ferentz, and retaliated against for speaking out, the press release said.
The lawsuit had been expeted but wasn’t immediately available to the public in Polk County, where it often takes a day or longer to process court filings.