Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard
A saga involving a Eugene massage therapist, an ex-athlete, an assault and a doping scandal has spilled over into court in a lawsuit that seeks almost $4 million from the ex-athlete and his employer, Nike Inc.
The suit was filed this week in Lane County Circuit Court by attorneys representing Chris Whetstine, the massage therapist, who has worked with some of the country's top athletes. It claims that Whetstine was viciously assaulted last year by former long jumper Llewellyn Starks, who was at the time and still is a sports marketing representative for Beaverton-based Nike.
In the lawsuit, attorneys allege that Whetstine suffered injuries to his face, head and both hands when he was attacked by Starks on June 22, 2006, outside a hotel in Indianapolis during the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The lawsuit claims that Starks was there on Nike business and had gotten extremely drunk on Nike's tab before allegedly assaulting Whetstine.
Nike spokesman Vada Manager on Friday said the company will challenge those claims and others made in the suit.
'Nike hasn't yet had the opportunity to review the actual complaint, but is familiar with the allegations and does not believe there is any basis for them,' he said in an e-mail. 'We will respond accordingly to the court.'
A call to Starks' Beaverton home on Friday was answered by a woman who said he was not available and hung up when asked to take a message for Stark.
The lawsuit claims that Whetstine's injuries, which have required multiple surgeries, have left him unable to work as a massage therapist now and in the future. It seeks $2.2 million for noneconomic damages related to the injuries, $1.6 million for loss of earning capacity and $65,000 for medical expenses.
Whetstine was assaulted just before he was swept up in a scandal involving Olympic gold medal sprinter Justin Gatlin, who a month later revealed that he had tested positive for testosterone after a meet that April. Shortly after that disclosure, Gatlin's coach, Trevor Graham, accused Whetstine of surreptitiously using a steroid cream on Gatlin during a post-race massage at the April meet.
That allegation against Whetstine fizzled, however. Gatlin subsequently accepted the results of the drug test and did not place blame on anyone else. Track authorities banned him for eight years, but he sought arbitration. He will argue for a shorter ban at a hearing set for July 30-31 in Atlanta.
No one ever established any connection between the assault on Whetstine and the doping allegation - other than that they occurred within within weeks of each other. Whetstine filed a police report, but a spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Whetstine declined to prosecute and Starks never was charged with any crime.
Attorneys for Whetstine's civil suit in Lane County Circuit Court did not return a call seeking comment.
Whetstine has worked with many of the country's premier athletes, including sprinter Marion Jones and golfer Ben Crane. He was in charge of massage therapy at the Prefontaine Classic for almost 10 years before being injured last June.
He worked on a contract basis for Nike and traveled extensively to treat athletes, including Gatlin, at sports events around the world. Manager said he does not believe that Whetstine has worked for the company recently.
The suit accuses Nike of providing Starks with money when it 'should have known that he would use said funds to purchase excessive amounts of alcohol for himself and others.' It also accuses the company of failing to supervise Starks and not providing employees with guidelines on how to conduct themselves while on company business.
