“Salazar told her that she was too fat and that her breasts and bottom were too big”
Mary Cain has filed a $20 million lawsuit against Alberto Salazar, her former coach, and Nike, who employed both Cain and Salazar within the now defunct Nike Oregon Project.
Cain accused Salazar of abusing her emotionally as a 16-year-old when she joined the Nike Oregon project. The lawsuit makes Salazar out as a temperamental control freak. Salazar is accused of humilating Cain publicly, mainly around her weight. Cain’s legal team is arguing that this mental abuse took a toll on her mental and physical health. They are arguing that Nike knew what was going on, but did not intervene.
Salazar is accused of forcing Cain to weigh herself in front of other athletes, and is even accused of controlling her food intake to the extent that Cain was so hungry, she was forced to steal snacks off teammates.
Kristen West McCall, Cain’s Portland based lawyer had the following to say about the case:
“He (Salazar) prevented Cain from consulting with and relying on her parents, particularly her father, who is a doctor,”…..“Companies are responsible for the behavior of their managers. Nike’s job was to ensure that Salazar was not neglecting and abusing the athletes he coached.”
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