The former Wheeling University women’s rugby coach, fired last week before the team’s national championship game, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the university and its athletic director. Former coach Ken Pape claims, in part, that his contract had no provisions for early termination for any reason.

The civil lawsuit was filed Friday against the university and AD Carrie Hanna. It asks for a jury trial and for full compensation for all damages, losses and expenses Pape has incurred.

In his lawsuit, Pape claims that the sole reason he was given for his termination was giving permission to women’s rugby players of legal age to consume alcohol the ability to do so on Nov. 16 to celebrate a victory. According to the lawsuit, Pape’s letter of termination claimed he did not contact Hanna after the Nov. 16 incident, which Pape claimed was false.

According to the lawsuit, after a Nov. 15 rugby match, a 21-year-old team captain asked Pape if she could consume alcohol with family and friends to celebrate a win. Pape had a team rule that no player could consume alcohol during the season. According to the lawsuit, Wheeling University did not have that rule, nor did it prohibit students of legal drinking age from consuming alcohol on campus.

Pape denied the captain’s request, because the day after the match was a recovery day, but said the player and other players age 21 or older could have alcoholic drinks within WU’s alcohol use policies on Nov. 16.

Pape, according to the lawsuit, made it clear to the captain that underage players were not allowed to drink with the legal-age players. At no time did he give permission or encourage underage players to drink.

According to the lawsuit, during Wheeling University’s investigation into the incident, all women’s rugby players interviewed stated “it was clear to them that plaintiff was altering the team’s no drinking rule for players aged 21 and older.”

According to the lawsuit, Wheeling University does not have a code of conduct or handbook of policies for its athletic coaches, its employee handbook does not address alcohol consumption by students of legal drinking age, and its student handbook and code of conduct permit students of legal drinking age to consume alcohol on campus. Therefore, Pape argues, he didn’t violate any policy of code of conduct at the university.

Pape also claims in the lawsuit that, when he signed his contract to coach at WU, it contained language for salary, bonuses and staffing levels – and had no provision for termination for cause. He claims he has exceeded all expectations as coach, and that his termination was in violation of that contract.

He also claims that Hanna looked for reasons to fire him because he would “raise issues … regarding valid concerns of his players as to living conditions, the dining experience, facility usage, etc. Pape also claims Hanna did not keep promises regarding staffing, team expenses and facilities, and that the investigation she conducted into the Nov. 16 situation “violated written policies of both the athletic department and the university.”

Pape also claims in the lawsuit that he still has personal property on campus he hasn’t been able to recover since his firing.

Because of Pape’s firing and several player suspensions, the Wheeling University women’s rugby team withdrew from the National Collegiate Rugby Division I championship match. Because of that withdrawal, the NCR banned WU from postseason play for two years and said it could impose further sanctions after a deeper investigation. The Cardinals won the NCR Division I national title last season and were undefeated entering this year’s title match.

Officials from Wheeling University have not yet been able to be reached for comment.