State Judge backs award in former Grambling coach-firing suit

Melvin Spears, Head Football Coach
Alcorn State University

BATON ROUGE, La. — A judge refused Monday to overturn an East Baton Rouge Parish jury’s May 6 decision to award nearly $600,000 to former Grambling State University football coach Melvin Spears Jr. The jury found the school breached Spears’ contract when it fired him in December 2006.

State District Judge Wilson Fields denied Grambling’s request for a new trial.

At the request of Spears’ attorneys, Fields also tacked on another $43,000 in penalty wages to the jury award. “His ruling today upholds the intent of the jury,’’ said Jeffrey Cody, one of Spears’ attorneys, after the court hearing.

GSU attorney Charles Tabor said the school can proceed with its appeal to the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge.

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