05/07/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOPKINS LAW FIRM FILES DEFAMATION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF GEORGETOWN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KENNETH CRIBB
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. – Hopkins Law Firm, LLC has filed a defamation lawsuit in Georgetown County on behalf of longtime educator, coach, and athletic director Kenneth Cribb against multiple defendants, including media entities and a Georgetown County parent, arising from false and defamatory accusations of criminal, unethical, and illegal conduct.
The lawsuit alleges that Coach Cribb was publicly accused of violating state law, ethics laws, and school district policies in connection with community-funded athletic stipends and baseball team decisions at Georgetown High School. According to the complaint, those accusations were amplified and republished by local media outlets without adequate investigation or verification.
“Coach Cribb has devoted decades of his life to coaching, mentoring students, and serving young athletes throughout the Southeast,” said attorney J. Clay Hopkins of Hopkins Law Firm. “The allegations made against him were not only false — they have been devastating to his reputation, career, and standing in the community.”
According to the lawsuit, Coach Cribb has more than 36 years of coaching experience and had established a strong reputation for professionalism and integrity before the publications at issue. The complaint further alleges that the Bulldog Athletic Group — a community organization formed to supplement coaching stipends — was created openly and with the knowledge of district leadership, and that Coach Cribb neither founded nor controlled the organization. Furthermore, the School District's current Superintendent, Dr. Bethany A. Giles, asked the organization to cease its activities in July of 2025.
The complaint also alleges that the claims surrounding retaliation against a student-athlete were demonstrably false and contradicted by timelines, public records, and the accuser’s own statements. The lawsuit states that Coach Cribb had no role in deciding whether the student made the varsity baseball team and that the relevant tryout decisions were made by coaching staff based on player evaluations.
Importantly, the lawsuit alleges that Georgetown County School District administrators ultimately found no wrongdoing by Coach Cribb. According to the complaint, district leadership informed Coach Cribb on May 1, 2026, that he had committed no violations and that he remained eligible to teach and coach within the district.
Despite that finding, the lawsuit alleges that the false accusations and related media coverage caused substantial harm to Coach Cribb’s professional reputation, emotional well-being, and future career opportunities.
The complaint seeks actual damages, presumed damages, punitive damages, and a public retraction of the allegedly false statements.
“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are foundational rights,” Hopkins said. “But with those rights comes responsibility. False accusations of criminal and unethical conduct cannot simply be published and repeated without consequence when they destroy someone’s reputation and livelihood.”
The case has been filed in the Georgetown County Court of Common Pleas.
For media inquiries, contact:
J. Clay Hopkins
Hopkins Law Firm, LLC
12019 Ocean Highway
P.O. Box 1885
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
(843) 314-4202
[email protected]
