Yale athletics saga takes new twist as emails show legal confrontation with ex-coach's lawyer

EXCLUSIVE: Emails obtained by Fox News Digital show a former Yale University administrator telling a lawyer of former Yale strength and conditioning coach Thomas Newman that he was recorded during a meeting. 

Other emails show Newman's lawyer arguing that Connecticut law requires both parties to consent to being recorded during telecommunication, which is current state law, and that the recordings were allegedly used against him by higher-level admins. 

"A former employee recorded a portion of a meeting with your client, without the university's knowledge," reads part of an email sent to Newman's attorney, Alan Granovsky, from a Yale deputy general counsel, who now no longer works at the university.

The counsel's email was sent in response to an Aug. 13, 2025, letter with the subject line "Ongoing Reputational Harm and Misstatements Regarding Thomas Newman." 

The counsel's email also included the lines, "The university has not made any defamatory statements to anyone regarding your client," and "The university did not disclose any medical information inappropriately, the university has not said that your client left the university involuntarily or is subject to an investigation." 

The counsel retired this past January, as seen on the person's LinkedIn page. Newman resigned from his position in early 2021. 

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Newman's attorneys at Granovsky & Sundaresh Employment law sent multiple emails to Yale regarding the issue and Newman's ultimate departure from the university in 2021, which were provided by a source to Fox News Digital. 

Newman confirmed to Fox News Digital that the emails were exchanged by the university and his attorneys, but declined further comment. 

An Oct. 10 email from Granovsky to the counsel includes the following allegations: 

"You now concede that a former employee recorded a portion of a meeting with Mr. Newman," part of the email wrote, later stating, "Despite knowing the recording was unauthorized, the parties involved— specifically [Executive Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer of Athletics] Ann-Marie Guglieri and [Athletic Director] Vicky Chun—attempted to use the recording for disciplinary purposes. 

"Despite my client’s repeated formal requests for a copy or transcript of this recording, both Ms. Guglieri and Chun refused to provide it, thereby preventing any opportunity to verify the alleged content or context. And yet they still used the ‘recordings’ as pretext to undermine Mr. Newman’s leadership and credibility and ultimately force him out." 

A Nov. 17 email from Granovsky to counsel includes the following allegations:

"Legal violations implicated by Yale’s conduct. Surreptitious recording / all-party consent. The audio you provided appears to be a spliced compilation of segments from staff Zoom calls that included multiple employees and interns (some not Yale students). 

"Connecticut law requires all-party consent to record private telephone/telephonic communications and creates a civil cause of action for non-consensual recording (C.G.S. § 52-570d) and criminalizes eavesdropping and mechanical overhearing (C.G.S. § 53a-189). 

"If any portion was captured via telephony/Zoom audio without consent from all participants, both civil and criminal exposure are in play. Yale’s use and retention of such a recording aggravates the violation. 

"Yale’s professional-conduct and recording policies (Policy 9001) prohibit surreptitious recording of meetings/classes by community members and guests. Retaining and weaponizing such a recording to affect employment outcomes is, on its face, a policy breach, regardless of who pressed ‘record.’"

No current or former administrator at Yale University has been officially implicated in any illegal activity. 

Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-570d, it is unlawful for any individual to record a private conversation without informing and obtaining the consent of all parties involved.

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Newman left the university voluntarily in March 2021, after five years of leading the Yale athletics' strength and conditioning team. 

A former Yale football player, who spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity, claims that under the staff that took over after Newman's departure, he suffered multiple injuries amid changes to the routine. 

The former player said that, unlike Newman's program, the new program had him go to practice only a short time after doing a conditioning test, and no Gatorade was available that day, and that he later suffered cramps so severe that he wound up in the hospital for three days. 

The player claimed he went on to suffer multiple injuries during the season, related to that cramping. 

On Monday, Fox News Digital published a letter signed by former longtime Yale ice hockey coach Keith Allain, addressed to Yale President Maurine McInnis. In the letter, Allain claimed other Yale coaches urged him to speak out against Chun to McInnis after his retirement. 

"I am writing to you at the urging of several head coaches in our Athletic Department. They told me that you were soliciting feedback from a few coaches regarding extending the contract of our athletic director, and are concerned, that with the culture of fear that permeates the athletic department, you will not receive candid feedback," the letter began. 

Allain went on to call Chun the "worst leader" he has ever been around and alleges she has prioritized "silencing any dissent."

"As a Yale alum and someone who has a great affection for our University and the role of athletics within the greater Yale community I felt compelled write you as my former colleagues asked. Vicky Chun is the absolute worst leader I have ever been around in my life," he wrote. 

"She is dishonest, self centered and inaccessible. Vicky’s singular talent is self promotion and has created a toxic environment within the department where she is insulated by a cadre of administrators whose main task seems to be silencing any dissent."

A source provided the letter to Fox News Digital. Allain later confirmed to Fox News Digital that he wrote the letter and sent it to McInnis in October, shortly after he retired after 19 years leading Yale hockey. Allain declined further comment. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Yale president's office and athletic department for a response.

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