Lawsuit over former JU runner's suicide claims Title IX, ADA violations, complaints ignored

The parents of a Jacksonville University student who died by suicide are suing the school and its former track and cross-country coach accused of berating and bullying her.  

Julia Pernsteiner, 23, died in her dorm room in November 2021, less than a year after she transferred from the University of Pikeville in Kentucky.

The wrongful-death lawsuit by Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner cites JU negligence as well as breach of contract and failure to follow requirements of the federal Title IX protection against sex discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act and another civil rights law known as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The lawsuit, filed this month in Circuit Court in Jacksonville, also accuses longtime coach Ron Grigg of intentional infliction of emotional distress and says JU shares responsibility for harm Grigg did during a tenure once praised for teams' success.

Grigg recruited Pernsteiner to JU but dismissed her from the team two months before her death, the suit says.

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Pernsteiner had learning disabilities that affected her reading, writing and math skills and required use of assistants and other help that JU agreed to as “reasonable accommodations” under the ADA, the lawsuit says.

But it says the school didn’t meet its commitment, recounting that her grades fell after she enrolled for summer courses and learned that an academic support center she depended on was closed in summer but she wasn’t allowed to drop the classes.

JU coach's abuse ignored, lawsuit contends

While she contended with coursework, Pernsteiner trained with the cross-country team and faced “a toxic atmosphere of humiliation and intimidation” as the coach disparaged and "fat-shamed" runners, according to the lawsuit.

“Teammates recall Grigg taking a special satisfaction in humiliating Julia, referring to her as ‘retarded,’ ‘the slowest f------ runner on the team’ and unable to ‘wipe your own a--,’” the suit says. “Julia, already struggling academically, now found that the sport she loved and found comfort in was the source of her coach’s targeted ridicule and harassment.”

Pernsteiner and other team members complained to JU’s administration about the coach, but “the school closed ranks around Grigg and refused to take any action,” the lawsuit states. “As long as Grigg’s teams were competitive, JU tolerated his outrageous behavior towards team members.”

The lawsuit quotes an email it says Pernsteiner sent to Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert the month before her death, saying she was “more than heartbroken” about being dropped from the team.

“My coach knew my times when he recruited me to come to JU and he knew about my grades at UPike. I am not the slowest one,” says the email, seeking guidance on how to improve her situation.

“… I just don’t know where to go from here,” it says. “I rely on the athletic academic help to do well. I would like to stay and work on improving my grades. I just am not able to do it myself. I’m looking for advice on how to proceed.”

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The suit says Pernsteiner’s requests for help weren’t answered and her concerns “spiraled into desperation and depression.”

Through a spokeswoman who was asked for comment, JU said Friday that “the students, faculty and staff of Jacksonville University continue to mourn Julia’s tragic death and we sympathize with the Pernsteiner family for their loss. Per university policy, we do not comment on pending litigation.”

Grigg, who had worked at JU since 1998, resigned in July after Ricker-Gilbert reported the school received "concerning information" about the treatment of student-athletes. Grigg couldn't be contacted Friday.