What began as a typically quiet summer evening in Louisville changed radically Tuesday when the Courier-Journal published the lurid details of the relationship between Cardinals basketball coach Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher.
In statements made earlier this year to Louisville Metro Police and obtained through a Kentucky Open Records Act request, Pitino acknowledged having had consensual sexual relations on August 1, 2003 with Sypher at Porcini, an Italian restaurant in the Crescent Hill section of the city. He also admitted to later paying for Sypher to obtain an abortion. However, he denied Sypher's allegations that he raped her at the restaurant and then again later at a different location.
Sypher’s credibility has been challenged on numerous fronts and Louisville Commonwealth’s Attorney David Stengel declined to prosecute the case in July.
Louisville is a predominantly Catholic city in which Pitino’s success with the Cardinal basketball program has been widely celebrated. It will be interesting to observe whether the news that he paid for an abortion will affect his standing in the city and perhaps ultimately impact his position at the University.
Steven Pence, Pitino's lawyer, told ESPN.com Tuesday night that there is no reason why Pitino would take a leave of absence from the school in light of the information from his client's police interview being made public.
Kenny Klein, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations at Louisville, added that Pitino hasn't made any suggestion that he would leave the program. He said that athletic director Tom Jurich and the administration are behind Pitino.
University of Louisville President James Ramsey spoke obliquely about today’s news in a statement released to the press.
"Several months ago Coach Pitino informed me about the alleged extortion attempt. I've now been informed that there may be other details which, if true, I find surprising," he said.
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