Page 1 of The Lawyer’s Quandary

“What is it I can do for you?” Greg Lampeter asked once he had his potential clients settled on the sofa in his large office. At the big law firm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he started his career, he would never have gotten an office this spacious, but now he had his own practice, one of maybe a dozen in the Cumberland County seat of Carlisle. He settled back in his chair with a legal pad at the ready to make notes.

“Well…,” the college-age young man said as he cleared his throat. Then he rubbed the back of his neck with nervous energy.

“Okay,” Greg said. “First thing I should tell you is that whatever you say is confidential. The files with my notes are locked, and only I have a key. My paralegals and associates are all under the same bubble of confidentiality. No one is going to talk about what we say.” Greg could see that the younger guy was really nervous, and his gaze shifted to the man in his early thirties with the most striking blue eyes Greg had ever seen. “Why don’t we start with your names?”

“I’m Mark Baker, and this is Steven Strickler,” the older man said as the tension in the room didn’t budge an inch. “I’m an assistant swimming coach at the college. I’ve been there a little over a year. Part of Steven’s cardio training involves time in the pool, so we got to know each other.” Mark began to pink a little. “As a bit of background, I’m gay, but he and I are just friends.” He was pretty clearly going down the rabbit hole here, but it was nice to know that the hot coach was gay and that he was cute when he got flustered. Not that it was germane at the moment, but maybe it would be.

“All right. Steven, you made this appointment for an initial consultation, so the floor is yours. What is it that you would like me to look into?”

“I play lacrosse at Adams College down near Gettysburg, and, well… I think I was….” He paused. “I think the assistant coach… felt me up.” He shook, and Greg didn’t move for a second, but then he leaned in.

“I believe you,” he said, and the tension leached out of Steven’s shoulders within seconds.

“You do? Nobody else seems to. Except Mark.” The kid seemed kind of broken, and that got under Greg’s skin.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened and what you’ve done about it so far?” Greg asked. “Have you reported it to the college or spoken to the head coach about it?”

Steven shook his head. “I can’t. See, that’s the problem.” He was agitated. “No one understands.”

Greg was beginning to see that Steven was a wall of wiry muscle and anxiety. “Then how about you try to explain it to me. As your lawyer, I’m on your side and no one else’s. Period. But I can’t help you or at least tell you what I can do for you if you don’t explain things to me.” He tilted his head slightly toward Mark. “So you aren’t one of Steven’s coaches?”

“No. I work mainly with the men’s swimming team, though I do assist with the women’s team as well. Steven often comes into the pool to train and keep fit during the winter months. I’ve asked him if he’d like to join our team because he’s really fast, but lacrosse is his passion, and he’s a gifted player. I guess since I’m not one of his coaches, and there aren’t the usual expectations and roles, we became friends.”

“Has he told you what happened?” Greg asked.

“Not all of it, no. This is really hard for him. Coach Bates has been with the program for years. He and Coach Littleton are legends on campus. Together, they have built the lacrosse program into a regional powerhouse. Adams College doesn’t have a huge athletic department. They have a football team and offer a number of other sports, but it’s lacrosse, soccer, and swimming that we are known for athletically.”

Greg nodded and turned back to Steven. “So you came here to tell me that one of the beloved lacrosse coaches at Adams College did something inappropriate?” That was enough for now. What Greg really needed to do was get Steven talking… about anything.

“Yeah.”

Greg sighed softly. “Are you on scholarship?” Steven nodded. “And you were given that scholarship to play lacrosse for Adams?” Another nod, and slowly Greg was beginning to get the picture. The power imbalance was enormous. “Eventually, you are going to have to tell me what happened, and I’m going to need you to do that in as much detail as possible. This is a serious allegation, so if we’re going to make it, then I need all the information I can get.”

Steven gaped. “You mean you’ll help me?”

“Yes. I think I can do that. But…?” he prompted, to try to get Steven to take it from there.

The sigh from Steven was huge. “I earned my scholarship. I worked hard for a long time to get my place on the team, and I want to win. And I don’t want it taken away.” Steven’s nervousness grew once more. Most of the time, clients felt wronged, and they were ready to shout their grievances from the rooftop. But this was a very different situation.

“Steven and his father are somewhat estranged,” Mark supplied.

“I decided to make it on my own, and….”

The pieces slotted together in his mind. “Strickler Trucking?” Greg asked, and Steven nodded. “Okay.” Evans Strickler had more than a small reputation for his conservative family and religious values. His firm had gotten into trouble for trying to fire a gay driver. It had backfired publicly and they had backed down, but still, it made Greg wonder.

“But I know, regardless of our differences, that he’ll pay for whatever I need… quietly.” The nerves were back, and Greg wondered what he was stepping into. “See, my dad and I have a huge difference of opinion. He caught me last semester with my boyfriend and went ballistic. I have a girlfriend now, but to Dad, there’s straight and then there’s everyone else that he thinks shouldn’t exist, and I refuse to hide that part of who I am.”

A picture was beginning to form in his mind. “You’re bisexual, and you have had relationships with both men and women. Not that it’s pertinent, because no one has the right to touch you or coerce you into doing something you don’t want, regardless of your sexual identity. But thank you for telling me.”

“See, I have one ankle that is weaker than the other because of sprains and stuff. So I always went to coach to have it taped and wrapped before games.”

“It helps provide rigidity and support,” Mark added. “More of a preventative measure.”

Greg didn’t want to interrupt, so he turned to Steven and let him explain just what went on. It was not a pretty picture, and the more Steven said, the angrier he got. “I know it could all be explained as an accident, or at least I’m sure Coach Bates would say that’s what it was, but it’s been going on for a while. At first, I didn’t know what to do and thought that it was all in my mind. But then I heard one of the other guys saying that he didn’t want to spend time alone with Coach Bates, and I started to wonder why and if maybe I wasn’t the only one. Nothing specific was said by anyone, but there’s this undertone of rumor and teasing that got me thinking.”

Greg was floored. He had heard of cases like this with athletes. There were even some famous ones. And he knew that taking the same old route as before was probably not the best thing to do. “Let me ask you this again. Who have you told at the college? Coaches, other players, your parents… anyone. Who knows?”

Steven had become more confident, but now he deflated some. “I told Mark because he’s my friend, and it took weeks for me to be able to do that. I mean, this sort of thing isn’t supposed to happen to guys.”

“You know that’s bullshit, right?” Mark said before Greg could. “Abuse can happen to anyone, and no matter what, it isn’t right. People think that you can do something about it because you’re an athlete.”

“The last time I was with him, I thought about punching him in the face and kicking the shit out of him, but then I would lose my scholarship, and I’d be at the mercy of my father, who would… he’d do whatever he could to try to make me into who he wants.”

Greg got that. The scholarship was to some degree Steven’s independence and his ability to make his own decisions. No one wanted to have to give that up. “Okay. But your father will pay the legal bills?”

“It’s complicated. I know Dad loves me. But he also wants me to be like him….”

“I get it. The relationship with my father is sometimes kind of complicated.” He grew quiet as he thought. “The first thing I need to do is put together an engagement letter. This will outline my fees and contain an estimate of what I expect the costs to be. Once you decide if you want to move forward, then I’ll begin digging into more of the details and devise a strategy.” He leaned forward. “But I want you to do something for me. Think about what it is that you really want out of this.”

“What do you mean?” Mark asked.

Greg sat back. “Well, are you looking for the college to pay money? Do you want them to fire Coach Bates so he can’t do this again? What is your goal?”

“That’s easy. I want him gone,” Greg said, more confidently than anything he’d said up until that point.

“So you aren’t interested in a big court case or anything?” Greg asked.

Mark cleared his throat. “Is that a problem?”

Greg smiled. “Not in the least. It sounds to me like you want this handled reasonably quietly, to build a case that the college can’t ignore so they show Coach Bates the door.”

Both Steven and Mark nodded, and Steven got to his feet when his phone chimed. “We have a game at Dickinson in a few hours, and I need to get over there.” He grabbed the equipment bag he’d stashed near the door and was about to leave.

“Hold on,” Greg said before verifying the contact information he had. “Best of luck in the game.”

“Thanks.” Steven was out the door, closing it behind him, leaving Greg and Mark alone.

“I bet this has to be one of the strangest cases you’ve had,” Mark said while Greg made notes before he forgot some things.

“Not even close,” Greg said with a smile. “Okay. Since I have you here, I have to ask. Is he the first person who has come to you?”

Mark nodded. “Yes, and I didn’t want to believe it. But you have to know Steven. When he finally told me what was happening, I wanted to dismiss it. But Steven isn’t some dumb athlete or someone who would make anything up. He was almost kicked off the team because he went to a party, and one of the people there gave him a toke. The party got busted, and he stood up, said what he did, and took his lumps for it. There is no backing down with him. If he does something wrong, he owns up to it, and he expects others to do the same.”

“But this is….” He was trying to get his head around it. “Organizations should know better, coaches and others should know better, particularly after Penn State.”

“Yeah, but they do know one thing, and that is to try to defend themselves,” Mark said, and checked his watch. “I need to get something to eat right away.” He pulled out his phone, which had beeped a number of times. “My blood sugar is getting low.”

“The Hanover Grill is a block away,” Greg offered. He didn’t have another client for an hour, and he needed lunch of his own. “If you want some company.”

“Sounds good,” Mark said, and left the office while Greg told Angie, his paralegal, where he would be and that he would be back before his next meeting.

“It’s about time you went out and had a little fun,” she told him with a grin.

He growled, and she outright laughed. “He’s a client. Well, kind of.” It was hard to explain, and he had no intention of giving her any more ammunition. Angie was always on his back about dating and going out to meet people. She kept reminding him that he left the law firm because of the hours and the fact that they ran his entire life. And when he started his own firm, he threw everything he had into it and never went out and let it take over his life.

“Then you have fun with the handsome sorta-client.” She winked at him, and Greg knew it was useless to argue with her. She would only dig her heels in further. Angie was great at her job because she was tenacious.

Greg met Mark outside, and they walked through the early spring air, the trees downtown showering them and the sidewalk with white flower petals. “Have you eaten here before?” Mark asked as he pulled open the door.

“Yeah. They’re on my speed dial. A couple days a week, they deliver my lunch to the office. It’s a pretty basic food, but they do some things really well. Their Reuben is really good. For a while they didn’t have it on the menu, but they brought it back due to popular demand.”

“I love those,” Mark said, and they sat down. When Lucy came over, they ordered their drinks and a Reuben each.

“What is it like coaching swimming?”

Mark chuckled. “It’s part parent, part therapist, part friend, and all business. A lot of these kids have never been away from home before. With the freshmen, it’s a matter of getting them to understand that freedom does not mean that they get to do everything they always wanted. You can party all night, and after class, I’m going to kick your butt in the pool regardless of how much you drank. And if they don’t perform, then they can lose their scholarship. It’s that simple. I have to be the disciplinarian and, at the same time, encourage them to succeed. Get them to work as a team and support each other.”

“I get that. I was never much for sports. I have a leg that didn’t quite grow the way the other did. So especially as a kid, walking and running were difficult. As I grew up, the issue largely sorted itself out, but by then I was as coordinated as a flamingo on stilts. So I went to law school instead.”

“Dickinson?” Mark asked.

“No, Harvard. I was lucky enough to earn a place.” He thanked Lucy as she brought their drinks. “While most of my colleagues had their eyes on corporate prizes and huge payouts, I went into litigation and did a lot of defense work.”

“What was Harvard like?”

Greg rolled his eyes. “Upper-crusty. My father went to Harvard too. He was a great lawyer and even argued before the Supreme Court and won a number of important cases. So I had resources available to me that most people don’t have. My father paid for my education, and I think he was disappointed at first that I decided to go my own way. But I had a trust fund and more money than I could spend in my lifetime. It’s important to me that I give back.”

“So you have your own firm?”

“Yes. I live on what I make, and a lot of the earnings of my trust are given to charity and to support various family properties that I inherited. People depend on them for a living, so I couldn’t just walk away.”

“Is that why you’re taking Steven’s case? Because he needs help?”

“Yeah. That’s part of it. My business supports not just me, but Angie and Regina. Next year, I’m taking on another lawyer from Dickinson. The business is growing, and part of what I believe in is paying things forward.” He grew quiet for a few seconds. “How did you become a swimming coach?” Greg asked.

“Well, in college I was on the swim team, and I was good. I even made the Olympic team. But I just wasn’t quite good enough. I mean, with Michael Phelps and Terry Baumgartner competing then, there wasn’t a lot of room for the rest of us. Still, it was an amazing experience, and when I got back, I found that I had other skills. I could help people reach their potential. So that’s what I do. So far, I’ve coached a few state champions and one guy who went to the Olympics the way I did. There are two guys on my team and a woman on the women’s team who have more ability than anyone I have ever coached or competed with.” He sounded excited, and his eyes were brimming with energy—so much so that Greg found it difficult to look away. “So many of these kids have so much talent, and it’s my job to help them realize it.”

“Me too.”

“Do you offer internships or hire recent graduates?” Mark asked, and Greg nodded.

“It was shocking to me, even as a Harvard graduate, just how much I had yet to learn once I left law school. They teach you the theory and the history of the law, how to research and analyze cases, but so much of the law is paperwork… tons of it. Petitions to the court, briefs, counterpetitions, filings, amended filings, forms—you name it. Angie is amazing with that sort of thing. She keeps a calendar for each case, as well as a master calendar, to make sure that we meet all the court-assigned deadlines. That itself is a huge job, especially once the number of cases grows.”

“I guess most of us who have never had to go to court don’t understand much about it,” Mark mused. When their sandwiches arrived, the conversation settled as they ate.

“I have to ask. I know you believe Steven, but why stick your neck out for him? It’s likely the college is going to close ranks to try to protect itself, and that could leave you on the outside. It’s happened before.” Greg sounded concerned.

“I’m aware of that. But I’m not going to be one of those people who turns a blind eye. If Coach Bates was inappropriate with Steven, then it’s happening to others, because if they get away with it once, then they do it again. He’s been part of the lacrosse team for nearly a decade.” Mark set down his sandwich, paling. “As much as I hate to see the college go through a scandal of this type, that’s preferable to the athletes being mistreated by someone with power over them.” Damn, the conviction in Mark’s eyes was attractive as all hell. His lips drew straight, and his face was serious as a heart attack. There was no doubt of his convictions.

Greg found himself smiling. “I’m glad he’s going to have your support, because he’s going to need it.”

“So you are going to take the case?” Mark asked.

“That isn’t up to me. I’ll put together a basic strategy and send it to Steven. He’s the one who will decide if he wishes to go ahead.” He swallowed hard. “Bates is trying to take away some of his player’s choices. I won’t do that. It’s fully up to him.”

“I know Steven wants to move forward with this. But what I don’t understand is why he needs a lawyer in the first place. Shouldn’t he just report the incident to the school?”

“Given the history of these sorts of complaints? No. The past tells us that they get swept under the rug, and the players are the ones who pay, one way or another. So I’m thinking outside of the box.” He wasn’t willing to show his hand yet. “But our job is to keep Steven safe from harm.”

Mark nodded and began eating once again. The man was almost graceful in his movements. Greg had been on dates with guys who stuffed themselves or ate so fast that they were like human vacuum cleaners. Mark was not like that. He ate slowly, deliberately, like he’d been trained. Lord knows Greg had. His mother believed in etiquette and taught him table manners and how to behave in almost any social situation. Though she did probably leave out how to act when you were having lunch with a guy you thought was stunningly handsome.

“How much do you swim yourself?” Judging by the lean muscle, quite a bit.

“A couple miles a day, usually first thing in the morning.” His features were relaxed, and his lips seemed to naturally curl up in a smile. “Have you ever thought of swimming for exercise?”

Greg bit his lower lip. “I’m not very good in the water. Never have been. I can swim and stuff, but I never really learned how to swim the way you guys are able to. Mom and Dad had a pool when I was growing up, but because of my leg issue, I had problems other kids didn’t.” Greg smiled. “I love the water—I’m just not a super strong swimmer. Usually for exercise, I use the treadmill at the Y. A half hour a couple times a week and I’m good to go.”

Mark nodded, and they continued eating, growing quiet for a few minutes. But it wasn’t uncomfortable, more companionable. “I guess I have to ask, and feel free to tell me if I’m out of line, but I saw the flag on your desk. Do you get grief or find it hard to get clients because…?” Mark petered off.

“Because of the gay thing?” He shook his head. “Not really. I have quite a few gay clients, but plenty of business and contract ones as well. I don’t think it’s a big deal, not in Carlisle. Making a go of a private law practice is not easy, but it’s working for me. How about you? Does a gay swimming coach cause issues?”

“Not on my campus. In fact, it opened a door for me. Let’s say that the head women’s coach was much less concerned about working with me… and so are the swimmers themselves. I do have a few guys every year who decide they want to push, but they find out that I’m professional, I treat everyone the same, and I don’t fish where I live, and then we all get down to work. For younger people it isn’t such a big deal. It’s older, more traditional people who tend to have an issue.”

Mark finished his sandwich and picked at a few of the chips before settling back in his seat. Greg finished as well and hated to see this lunch end. It had been quite a while since he’d felt comfortable enough to open up to someone. Usually he was all business, much to Angie’s obvious dismay.

Lucy asked if there was anything else and left the check. Greg took it and handed her his credit card. “You can get the next time,” he said casually, hoping there would be a next time.

“That sounds great.” Mark wiped his mouth and set down his napkin. Then he reached into his wallet and pulled out a card. “Give me a call sometime.” He paused with the card in his hand. “Us having lunch or dinner isn’t going to be some kind of conflict of interest, is it?”

“I don’t think so.” And yet there was that possibility. Mark was employed by the college, and it was possible that Greg could be taking them on. “For now, if we decide to have dinner, we should tell Steven so he is aware. That will take care of any conflict at the moment.”

Mark leaned over the table, his blue eyes growing darker. “I get it. If things get sticky with the college….” Then it wasn’t just Steven who could have an issue, Greg could end up in the middle between Steven and his lacrosse coach.