National Roundup

Pennsylvania
US Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg to get Liberty Medal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been named this year's recipient of the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal.

The Philadelphia center says Ginsburg will be awarded the medal "for her efforts to advance liberty and equality for all" in a video tribute in words and music to be broadcast live Sept. 17. Officials say Ginsburg won't be present to receive the award.

The National Constitution Center said Wednesday that the ceremony will be the "pinnacle" of its yearlong effort to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

The center hosts constitutional debates and features interactive exhibits about the U.S. Constitution. The Liberty Medal recognizes individuals who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

Oregon
Lawsuit claims Schools failed to investigate teacher

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A former student from Aloha High School is suing the Beaverton School District after a teacher was convicted of sending her sexually explicit photos and videos of himself.

The suit, which asks for more than $2 million in damages, says the district failed to monitor the teacher's communications with students and didn't take action even after it became aware of some of the teacher's troubling behavior, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

In March, Timothy Yee, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of luring a minor. He received 120 days in jail, three years of probation, is required to register as a sex offender and must undergo sex offender treatment. Yee admitted as part of a plea deal to sending a 16-year-old student naked photos of himself and a video of himself engaged in a sexual act.

In April, the girl told her friends who told their parents about Yee's comments and photos in 2018, according to a probable cause affidavit.

 In a recorded phone call, Yee asked the girl to keep quiet, according to the affidavit. Yee was arrested and admitted to what he had done, records show.

In the lawsuit, filed Monday, Greenawald and Riddell alleged that Yee had electronic communications with multiple students across multiple social media platforms, none of which included district oversight or that of parents or guardians.

In August 2018, an Aloha High School teacher told district administrators that Yee had been engaging in questionable behavior with students over social media, according to the suit. It wasn't until a second teacher complained that an investigation was initiated, the suit says.

The school district said it was unable to comment on pending litigation.

West Virginia
2 lawsuits filed over rock slide that injured 3

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Two lawsuits have been filed as a result of a rock slide this year near West Virginia University that injured three people.

WVU student Chloe Bolin of Cincinnati and Morgantown resident Susan Cramer filed separate complaints in Monongalia County Circuit Court, The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. They allege the university failed to resolve the problem of large rocks falling from university property onto Monongahela Boulevard.

Cramer was traveling in a car when it was hit by the rock on Feb. 10. She said she suffered permanent bodily damage, the lawsuit said.

Bolin was riding in a Personal Rapid Transit car when it collided with the rock, sending Bolin and another student to the hospital. The lawsuit alleges Bolin was also seriously and permanently injured.

WVU spokeswoman April Kaull wrote in an email to the newspaper that the board cannot comment on pending litigation.

California
UCLA sues Under Armour, seeking in excess of $200 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA filed a lawsuit against Under Armour on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for breach of contract, seeking damages in excess of $200 million.

Under Armour announced in late June that it was ending its deal with the university. The two sides were four years into a 15-year deal worth $280 million, which remains the highest in college athletics.

Under Armour paid $11 million per year in rights and marketing fees as well as contributing $2 million per year to aid in facility improvements. Under terms of the contract, the company is supposed to supply $6.85 million in athletic apparel, footwear and uniforms.

"It is unfortunate that Under Armour is opportunistically using the global pandemic to try to walk away from a binding agreement it made in 2016 but no longer likes," UCLA vice chancellor of strategic communications Mary Osako said in a statement. "UCLA has met the terms of the agreement, which does not require that games in any sport be played on a particular schedule. We filed this lawsuit in order to support our student-athletes and the broader UCLA community, including the athletic department that has brought 118 national championships to Westwood."

The company cited Force Majeure due to the coronavirus pandemic as one of the reasons it was terminating the deal. Another was UCLA's struggles in its flagship sports. The football program has had a losing record four straight seasons, including a 7-17 mark in Chip Kelly's first two seasons, which has led to declining attendance at the Rose Bowl. Men's basketball struggled the first half of last season but won nine of its last 11 in Mick Cronin's first season.

Under Armour said in a statement Wednesday that it is confident in their position and that they would defend it.

"We sought and remain open to working out a reasonable and appropriate transition for the university, and most importantly for the student-athletes," the statement continues. "In fact, at UCLA's request after the termination of the agreement, Under Armour continued to deliver athletic products for the 2020-2021 school year because we support athletes, even as it remains uncertain when sports will resume."