Former college football coach Jason Brown, who gained notoriety for his appearance on Netflix’s hit docuseries Last Chance U, is now taking legal action against the streaming giant. Brown has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County this week, seeking a whopping $30 million in damages, claiming that the series portrayed him in a “false and offensive light” through selective editing and misrepresentation.
Alleged Misrepresentation and False Villain Portrayal
Brown, who was the head coach at Independence Community College, says that when he agreed to participate in the series back in 2017, producers assured him he would receive positive publicity from the show. He claims one Netflix executive even told him, “Colleges will be calling you after this airs.” However, according to Brown, what transpired was the complete opposite.
In the lawsuit, Brown alleges that Netflix deliberately edited the footage to depict him as a “volatile, abusive tyrant” for the sake of financial gain. He specifically points to the way the show dramatized his actions, with one incident in particular standing out. In February 2019, Brown sent a text message to a student that included a Hitler reference, and he claims that Netflix sensationalized the situation, further damaging his reputation.
Lost Opportunities and Financial Damage
As a result of the show’s portrayal, Brown says he lost lucrative career opportunities. He claims that $600,000 offers he had received to coach NCAA programs and XFL teams were rescinded after the negative attention from Last Chance U. In total, Brown estimates he has lost $10 million in income, another $10 million in reputational damage, and $5 million in emotional distress. Additionally, he is seeking $5 million in punitive damages.
A Pattern of Lawsuits
Jason Brown is not the first person connected to Last Chance U to take legal action against Netflix. Several former stars of the show, including Ronald Ollie, John Franklin III, Cary Sidney Reavis II, DeAndre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright, filed similar lawsuits against Netflix earlier this year, citing issues of misrepresentation and false portrayal.
