In 1981, University of Georgia English instructor Jan Kemp joined colleagues in alleging that university officials had intervened to help nine football players pass a remedial English course. The players were then eligible to compete against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship. Kemp was demoted in 1982 and dismissed in 1983. The university said she was fired for “disruptive conduct” and inadequate scholarly research, while Kemp maintained that the dismissal was retaliation for challenging academic favoritism toward revenue-producing athletes.
A jury found the University of Georgia liable for Kemp’s illegal dismissal and awarded her $2.5 million; the award was later reduced to $1.08 million. She was reinstated, and university president Fred C. Davison resigned. Kemp later argued that colleges used athletes to generate revenue while leaving them educationally vulnerable after their playing careers ended. She retired from teaching in 1990, and the case became a prominent example of alleged academic misconduct and institutional retaliation in college athletics.
