Georgia Southern's Former Coaches File Breach of Contract and Tortious Interference Lawsuit | To

Former Georgia Souther offensive coordinators, David Dean and Rance Gillespie, filed lawsuits against the school, the head coach, athletic director and other administrators.

According to the lawsuit, Rance and Gillespie were fired last season due to the team's losing record. They lawsuit alleges that the defednants did not abide by the terms of their 18-month contract and tried to pressure them into signing new, short-term agreements. They are suing for breach of contract, torturous interference, and fraud. The duo seeks compensatory damages, interest and fees.

While many are generally familiar with breach of contract and fraud, fewer people are familiar with tortious interference. So, without getting into too much detail, I will explain the basics of a claim for tortious interference.

What is Tortious Interference?

Tortious interference is a tort or cause of action the occurs when a person intentionally damages someone else's contractual or business relationships with a third party that results in economic harm or damages.

How Can I Prove Tortious Interference?

Under New Jersey law, in order to prove a cause of action for either tortious interference with a prospective contractual relationship or for tortious interference with an existing contract, a plaintiff must prove the following elements:

(1) actual interference with a contract; (2) that the interference was inflicted intentionally by a defendant who is not a party to the contract; (3) that the interference was without justification; and (4) that the interference caused damage.

See Russo v. Nagel, 358 N.J. Super. 254, 268 (App. Div. 2003)

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