A former football coach from Michigan has filed a lawsuit claiming that the university and its leadership were aware of the Connor Stallions sign-stealing scandal but took steps to keep it hidden.
Chris Partridge asserts in his revised lawsuit that university leaders discovered indications of a complex sign-stealing operation while looking into former assistant coach Matthew Weiss back in January 2023.
Allegedly, former Michigan President Santa Ono and Athletic Director Warde Manuel found evidence on Weiss’ hard drive but chose not to report it to the NCAA or the school’s board of trustees, as stated in the complaint.
Weiss now faces multiple charges, including 14 counts of unauthorized computer access and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Furthermore, Partridge claims that Ono instructed university officials to refrain from taking notes about the investigation into Weiss to prevent any potential leaks.
In a separate claim, a former assistant coach at Michigan State alleged that the school had been aware for years of an inappropriate relationship between former head football coach Sherrone Moore and a subordinate but took no action to protect that employee.
Both of these incidents attracted significant media attention and prompted harsh criticism of the Michigan Athletic Department.
The sign-stealing scandal resulted in then-head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for three games, though the football team still managed to win the NCAA Championship that season.
The NCAA later imposed a 10-year show-cause penalty on Harbaugh and placed the football program under four years of probation.
Harbaugh is slated to leave Ann Arbor to take on the role of head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Moore’s termination followed allegations of an inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant, Paige Shiver, and he was arrested after visiting her home.
These two prominent incidents prompted the university to initiate an investigation into its athletic program, which is being conducted by the Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block.
Partridge, now with the Seattle Seahawks, is suing Michigan State, the board, and Manuel, claiming he has been made a “scapegoat” in the fallout from the Stallions’ sign-stealing situation.
