Andy Kennedy Files Defamation Lawsuit

Ole Miss head basketball coach Andy Kennedy has filed a defamation of character lawsuit against the man who accused him of assault and a witness to the alleged incident. In the original assault claim, there was talk of a drunk Kennedy assaulting a cab driver and spitting out racial taunts like "bin Laden."

The suit is against that cab driver who went on local news stations telling his side of the story and Michael Strother, a valet who also went on the local news and said he witnessed Kennedy's alleged conduct.

There are all kinds of conflicting reports since then but Kennedy believes that the damage has already been done.

Kennedy's attorney, Richard Katz, said Friday that the statements made by Mohamed Moctar Ould Jiddou and Strother might do permanent damage to Kennedy's coaching career, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. He also alleged their statements to police and the media have not been consistent.

"As an athlete or a coach, if you're in this business and something happens, whether you're innocent or guilty, it's with you for the rest of your career," Katz said, according to the report. "We don't want this to happen. We want this to be over and then throw the baggage in the river."

Again, this is a mess that has three sides: Kennedy's, the cab driver's and the absolute truth. Hopefully we can find out the final side.