UNC faces lawsuit over alleged pattern of closed-door meetings, including Bill Belichick hire

Bill Belichick in his debut as head coach for UNC was blown out by a score of 48-14. Colin Cowherd asks whether this was surprising and what it means for the legendary head coach.

A lawsuit accuses the University of North Carolina and its board of trustees of illegally hiring head football coach Bill Belichick behind closed doors in December. 

Former UNC Provost Chris Clemens and lawyer David McKenzie filed the lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court, and it alleges Belichick’s hiring is one of many instances in which closed sessions occurred at the public university.

The lawsuit points to an alleged "pattern and practice" at UNC to conceal "matters of grave public concern behind closed doors." One of those matters includes potential conference realignment.

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North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline during the first half against Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 6.  (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Clemens also alleges that he was punished after "leaking closed-session information" to faculty members about a meeting with tenure deferral as the main topic of the lawsuit. 

"As Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, [Clemens] briefed deans and vice chancellors internally about the Board’s tenure policy posture after a closed session so they could manage faculty expectations," the lawsuit reads. 

"The Board’s subsequent effort to punish him for ‘leaking’ closed-session information only highlights the culture of secrecy at odds with the Open Meetings Law and Public Records Law."

As for Belichick’s hiring, the lawsuit alleges that "substantive deliberation occurred in secret" on Dec. 12, 2024, in an emergency board meeting. The lawsuit charges that, since