Jury Backs Osu Coach

A jury has awarded $1.28 million in damages to a former Oregon State University softball coach who contended she was the victim of gender discrimination by the school.

The federal jury deliberated about 14 hours over two days before deciding that Vickie Dugan should be paid $1.09 million by the university and $185,000 by former athletic director Dutch Baughman.

Dugan, who coached at Oregon State from 1988 to 1994, had contended that she was illegally paid less than her male counterparts and that her constitutional right to free speech was violated when she was punished for speaking out on gender equity issues.