Richard Schick, the former women’s volleyball coach at the University of New Brunswick, has been awarded $50,920.98 in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the university. Schick was terminated in October 2023 after the university cited just cause, claiming his aggressive coaching style and use of profanity towards players were unacceptable.

The case was brought before the province’s Court of King’s Bench, where Justice E. Thomas Christie reviewed the circumstances surrounding Schick's dismissal. The judge noted that while the university conducted a thorough investigation into harassment complaints against Schick, it failed to provide him with an opportunity to correct his behavior before termination.

"UNB was faced with a series of harassment complaints against Mr. Schick. It retained an outside expert to investigate the complaints. It met with Mr. Schick, the complainants and took time to consider the matter, before deciding to terminate his employment," Justice Christie stated in his ruling.

The judge emphasized that not all violations of harassment policies warrant immediate termination. He pointed out that while some of the complaints against Schick were substantiated, others were unfounded. "In this case, the investigative finding was that Mr. Schick’s behavior violated the policy in certain ways, but that some of the complaints were unfounded," Christie explained.

The investigation, led by lawyer Kelly Van Buskirk, revealed that Schick had some awareness of his issues and a willingness to address them. This insight, according to the judge, supported the idea of applying progressive discipline rather than outright dismissal.

Schick was hired in May 2021 on a three-year contract. Tensions escalated at the end of the 2022-2023 season when he informed five veteran players that they would need to try out again to secure their spots on the team. Shortly after this announcement, the players and a team therapist filed harassment complaints against him.

Justice Christie noted the timing of the complaints, stating, "The implication raised by Mr. Schick was that the complainants were motivated (at least in part) by the news that they were not secure on the team." However, he clarified that the coincidence of timing did not excuse any inappropriate conduct.

The investigation report detailed numerous instances of alleged harassment by Schick. Of the thirty incidents reviewed, nine were deemed founded, primarily due to his aggressive use of profanity.

Concerns about Schick's coaching style had been raised in player evaluations after the 2021-2022 season. One player described his approach as a "one-size fits all" method that did not work for everyone.

Paige Lehto, a team member, provided an affidavit stating that she experienced bullying and harassment during Schick's tenure, which led her to seek counseling. "I was (experiencing) extreme sadness and loss of motivation that was impacting my performance as an athlete, as well as negatively impacting other areas of my life," she said.

The case highlights the complexities surrounding coaching practices and the balance between discipline and support in athletic environments.