Though a football-focused version of the docuseries Last Chance U has not aired since its fifth season in 2020, discussions around those seasons persist, particularly this week due to lawsuits involving two different seasons. Six players from the first two seasons, which showcased East Mississippi Community College’s 2015 and 2016 seasons, have filed a lawsuit against Netflix, the school, director and executive producer Greg Whiteley, and others. The players—John Franklin III, Ronald Ollie, C.J. Reavis, De’Andre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright—are seeking $30 million for “wrongful misappropriation of their likeness and to ensure fair compensation for their work.”
Adding to the discourse, controversial coach Jason Brown, who led Independence Community College during the third and fourth seasons of Last Chance U, indicated his consideration of litigation as well. Having departed the program following the 2018 season due to insensitive remarks, he told TMZ that although he may not join the current lawsuit, he is looking into his own legal action:
“I’ve never sued anybody in my life … But at this point in life where I see someone getting taken advantage of like this, I won’t [join their lawsuit,] but I will get involved on my own side. And that’s something to stay tuned to because my legal team’s looking into it.”
“A lot of people, even those guys that I did not coach, reached out to me to kind of be the guy to spearhead this [lawsuit].”
“We’re not actors, we’re coaches, players. We had no clue about this. And the ironic part of it is, I know the numbers. There’s a reason that show’s still on Netflix,” Brown stated.
“I do believe there’s some advantage being taken of us for the simple fact the numbers that they’ve gotten. I know how many viewers, I know the viewership, I know the money that’s involved if you just do the simple math.”
While the current lawsuit focuses specifically on these six players from one school, it raises potential discussions for broader legal action encompassing other seasons, including those in Kansas, where Brown coached. Legal complexities could arise from involving multiple institutions across states, given the number of individuals featured in Last Chance U.
If the litigation yields success (which is not guaranteed), it may extend beyond these six individuals. Moreover, the dialogue surrounding player name, image, and likeness rights has evolved significantly since the seasons aired, with other former players also pursuing legal avenues for past NIL-related actions.
Brown himself is no stranger to controversy; he exited Independence in February 2019 following backlash from a text wherein he referred to himself inappropriately to a player. Just before the fourth season aired in 2019, he faced felony charges related to alleged identity theft aimed at silencing local media reports—charges that were eventually dismissed in 2021. Currently, he hosts his own show and sells related merchandise.
With the lawsuit filed by these six players promising to be an event to follow, it will be intriguing to see whether Brown or others pursue additional legal action.
As mentioned, Last Chance U has not featured a football season since 2020, and the spinoff basketball season aired its second and last season in 2022. However, Brown’s remarks highlight that the football series continues to garner attention and viewership long after its conclusion, now drawing at least one lawsuit and perhaps more.
