Rush The Court

We’ve come upon the strangest story to hit the Big 12’s offseason. Former Oklahoma State guard Stevie Clark, once viewed as the heir to Marcus Smart’s title as floor general before falling out of favor quickly after his arrival in the fall of 2013, is suing the school, its Board of Regents and Cowboys head coach Travis Ford, according to TulsaWorld.com. The suit lays out a wide variety of allegations from Clark’s brief time with the Cowboys, including:

• Various promises to Clark by Ford, including a sports car, that were not delivered.
• “Hazing and disrespect” by Marcus Smart, which, when reported to Ford, led to Ford forcing Clark to take behavioral medication without his consent, lest Clark be barred from practicing with the team. According to Clark’s lawyer, the medication led to depression and suicidal thoughts.
• Clark being scapegoated in favor of starting players when marijuana was found in his room.
• Oklahoma State preventing Clark from transferring to a Division-I school after his dismissal; Clark went on to enroll at juco powerhouse Indian Hills Community College, but left the school in 2014.

Clark was dismissed from Oklahoma State on February 3, 2014 after facing multiple disciplinary issues. He is seeking damages for breach of contract, violation of due process, assault, battery, intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.

While incidents of athlete mistreatment have seen more coverage in recent years, this is some pretty salacious stuff even by today’s standards. However, Clark’s immaturity issues during his time at Stillwater, which included a suspension from a road game, being sent home from the 2013 Old Spice Classic and a citation for public indecency for urinating out of a moving car, would appear to paint him as an unreliable narrator. In other words, you’d be justified in treating these accusations with a grain of salt, at least until any evidence comes in.

On the other hand, if the allegations are proven true, Oklahoma State should waste no time in parting ways with Ford. While some of the offenses included don’t seem like they should require the involvement of the legal system, they are serious nonetheless. Particularly, forcing a student-athlete to take medication without his consent (again, if proven true) is far more reprehensible than, comparatively speaking, blocking a transfer.

We’ll see what comes of the suit, which, on the surface, seems tough for Clark to prove nearly two years later. For Oklahoma State’s part, a university spokesman responded in an email that the claims are “completely and utterly baseless.” Still, even if Clark is blowing smoke, this is certainly nothing Ford needs on his plate, no matter what you think of him as a coach, as he prepares for a season filled with uncertainty both for the Cowboys and for the future of his coaching career.