UT files motion to strike Peyton Manning's name from lawsuit

In this Jan. 1, 1996, file photo, Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (16) is congratulated by an unidentified cheerleader after Tennessee defeated Ohio State 20-14 to win the Citrus Bowl, in Orlando. The lawyer for six women suing the University of Tennessee on its handling of sexual assault complaints by student-athletes is focused on the school's systemic problems he believes exist and is surprised at the attention the complaint's brief mention of Peyton Manning generated.
In this Jan. 1, 1996, file photo, Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (16) is congratulated by an unidentified cheerleader after Tennessee defeated Ohio State 20-14 to win the Citrus Bowl, in Orlando. The lawyer for six women suing the University of Tennessee on its handling of sexual assault complaints by student-athletes is focused on the school's systemic problems he believes exist and is surprised at the attention the complaint's brief mention of Peyton Manning generated.

KNOXVILLE -- The University of Tennessee has filed a motion to strike a reference to Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning from a lawsuit that alleges the school has violated Title IX policies in its handling of sexual assault complaints against athletes.

The lawsuit filed Feb. 9 by six unidentified women focuses on five cases from 2013 to 2015, but also references incidents dating back to 1995 to show how the school has historically handled reports of player misconduct. One paragraph in the 64-page document mentions a sexual harassment complaint made by a Tennessee trainer in 1996 including an incident involving Manning, then the Volunteers quarterback.

The motion filed Tuesday says the Manning reference should be struck "because of the utter lack of relevance" it has to the lawsuit.

Read more about UT's recent legal battles

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