Alabama News

A combat veteran who was president of a Huntsville molecular diagnostics company is suing his former employer, alleging he was dismissed from his position after he disclosed having post traumatic stress disorder.

Peter Carothers, the former president of Diatherix Laboratories, filed the federal lawsuit last week in Alabama’s Northern District, alleging disability discrimination.

In February, he also filed a claim against Diaxtherix’s corporate parent, Eurofins USA.

He is seeking back pay and lost benefits, compensatory damages and other relief.

Diatherix develops advanced testing for infectious diseases.

According to the lawsuit, Carothers was president of the company from 2021 to January of this year. He was decorated for service in Afghanistan and diagnosed with a severe form of PTSD in the summer of 2024.

Carothers says he disclosed his diagnosis to the company’s senior leadership and that he was in the early stages of therapy.

He did so because of his “increasing need to carve out time for clinical visits” to the Huntsville VA medical facility.

Four days later, he was terminated on “vague performance based grounds,” the suit alleges.

“Prior to that date, Carothers had never been subjected to any verbal or written counseling much less placed on any improvement plan and had been given no indication that his job was in jeopardy,” the lawsuit states.

Attempts to contact Diatherix Laboratories for comment were not immediately successful.

 

Alabama pitcher Riley Quick has signed with the Minnesota Twins after the American League team chose him with the 36th selection in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on July 13.

Quick joined Minnesota for a $2.692 million signing bonus, mlb.com reported.

Quick announced his signing on Wednesday.

“A dream come true!” Quick posted on his Instagram account. “Thank you to everyone who helped me get to this point! Let’s get to work! Go Twins!”

Since Major League Baseball instituted the one-draft system in 1987, the 6-foot-6 right-hander is the third-earliest pitching selection from the Crimson Tide. The New York Yankees chose Ben Hess at No. 26 in last year’s draft, and the Florida Marlins picked Taylor Tankersley at No. 27 in 2004.

Entering the 2025 season, Quick had a 2-1 record in 17 games, including one start, for Alabama. But this season, Quick started 14 games, posted an 8-3 record. In 62 innings, he had a 3.92 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts while yielding 62 hits and 24 walks.

The 2025 campaign was a comeback for Quick, who had elbow surgery after his lone start of the 2024 season.

Quick starred at Hewitt-Trussville High School before going to Alabama. He was a two-time All-State selection, the Class 7A Pitcher of the year in 2021 and 2022 and Alabama’s Mr. Baseball for 2022.

As a junior for the Huskies, Quick had a 9-2 record, two saves and an 0.99 ERA. In his senior season at Hewitt-Trussville, Quick went 13-1 with an 0.92 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.

Quick also was a second-team All-State selection in 2020 and a first-team All-State selection in 2021 as an offensive lineman for the Hewitt-Trussville football team.

The Twins’ minor-league system includes the FCL Twins in the rookie-level Florida Complex League in Fort Myers, Florida; the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels of the Single-A Florida State League, the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the High-A Midwest League, the Wichita Wind Surge of the Double-A Texas League and the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A International League.

Minnesota chose Quick in Competitive Balance Round A. But because he was chosen before the start of the second round of the 2025 draft, he is considered a first-round selection.

His signing means all three of the first-round picks in the 2025 draft with Alabama baseball roots are under contract.

The Cincinnati Reds picked Steele Hall at No. 9 and signed the Hewitt-Trussville shortstop for a $5.75 million bonus.

The Baltimore Orioles picked Ike Irish at No. 19 and signed the Auburn catcher/outfielder for a $4.418 million bonus.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

The Birmingham Stallions are holding a free youth football camp on Wednesday at Legion Field. There’s a flag-football clinic for youngsters in the fifth- through 12th-graders from 2 to 4 p.m. CDT, and a football-skills clinic for seventh- through 12th-graders from 5 to 7 p.m.

Will it be the last thing the Stallions do in Birmingham?

On Tuesday night, UFL News Hub and Pro Football Newsroom reported the United Football League was planning to relocate four of its eight teams, including the Stallions. The other teams slated for relocation, the reports said, were the Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers. The four teams form the United Football League’s USFL Conference.

The UFL reacted to Tuesday night’s reports with a statement: “The league office is in the planning stages for next season and beyond. At this point, we have nothing to report on any unauthorized speculation.”

The reports said the teams could wind up in Columbus, Ohio; Boise, Idaho; Louisville or Lexington, Kentucky; and an unspecified Florida city.

But during an appearance on WJOX-FM’s “Three-Man Front” on Monday, Birmingham coach Skip Holtz addressed rumors about the team’s future and said the Stallions weren’t going anywhere.

“There has not been anything to let me know that it’s on shaky ground,” Holtz said. “I was told when I asked the question, because I hear the rumors just like everybody else, and I just went to the horse’s mouth and was told, ‘Absolutely not. Birmingham’s not going anywhere.’ That’s what I was told, and I feel comfortable with it, and we’re moving forward and business as usual.

“When you look at it, there have been some criticisms, maybe the way some of the markets have drawn and potentially looking to re-establish those maybe in new markets. But everything I have heard, Birmingham is not in that conversation. But I would also say to make sure we’re never in it in the future, let’s continue to grow attendance. Let’s continue to grow it and put people in that stadium, because that’s the excitement and the energy. The more the merrier. The more that are there, the more good time everybody’s to have.

“And I think as these players have built a product on the field that deserves to be one of the most heavily attended programs in the league. And so that’s the thing. I would love to see it continue to grow. The people of Birmingham have been awesome. I loved having the opportunity to live there for two years, but unfortunately now we’re only there on the weekends. I just want to see it continue to grow because the Birmingham Stallion name, I mean, it’s synonymous with spring football. When you look at all the different leagues going all the way back to the ’80s, have had the Birmingham Stallions. And right now for us to have this success that we’ve had – there’ve been four seasons that we played – two in the UFL and two in the USFL – and the Birmingham Stallions are the only team that have been in all four playoffs. And so I think we’ve created a product on the field, I just want to see it continue to grow. But I am looking forward to being back in Birmingham in the 2026 season.”

Birmingham’s average attendance for its six home games, including a playoff contest, for the 2025 season was 9,149. The only teams with lower averages were Memphis at 3,992 and Houston at 5,712. Michigan had an average attendance of 11,681, the third-best in the UFL in 2025.

The United Football League completed its second season in June. The league has had the same eight franchises for both seasons but was born by disbanding eight teams. The USFL and XFL merged their eight-team leagues into a single eight-team league in 2024 to form the United Football League.

The UFL is owned by FOX Sports, RedBird Capital Partners, Dany Garcia and actor/wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

With four seasons, the Stallions have had a longer tenure than any of Birmingham’s spring-football entries. The original USFL also fielded a Birmingham Stallions franchise in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The original Stallions had been preceded in Birmingham by the World Football League’s Americans in 1974 and Vulcans in 1975 and were followed in the Magic City by the World League of American Football’s Fire in 1991 and 1992, Canadian Football League’s Barracudas in 1995, the original XFL’s Thunderbolts in 2001 and the Alliance of American Football’s Iron in 2019.

The Stallions won the USFL championship in 2022 and 2023 and the UFL championship in 2024 before being eliminated in the UFL semifinals in 2025.

In 2022, the USFL played its entire regular-season schedule in Birmingham. In 2023, the USFL moved its teams into four hubs, with Birmingham hosting the Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers.

The UFL centered its spring operation in Arlington, Texas. The teams train and practice there during the week before traveling to home-team cities to play the games.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Three more people – a man and two women – are now charged in the horrific sex trafficking ring uncovered in Alabama, according to court records.

The allegations against the latest suspects – one of whom is the mother of some of the victims – include them using an animal shock collar on the children’s genitals, both as a form of punishment and for sexual pleasure, according to court documents made public Wednesday.

Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade is holding a press conference today to discuss the crimes.

Rebecca Brewer, 29, Sara Louise Terrell, 41, and Ricky Terrell, 44, are facing multiple charges ranging from sexual torture and abuse to rape and human trafficking.

Previously charged are Andres Velazques-Trejo, 29, William Chase McElroy, 21, Dalton Terrell, also 21, and Timothy St. John, 23.

Trejo and Brewer have three children together, and Brewer has at least one child from another previous relationship.

It is not clear if the three suspects named Terrell are related.

Brewer is charged with three counts of sexual torture, eight counts of kidnapping and eight counts of human trafficking.

Ricky Terrell is charged with first-degree rape. He is alleged to have raped a 10-year-old girl.

Sara Terrell is charged with sexual torture and abuse. Charging documents state she used an animal training collar with shock capability on a child or children.

Their children are among the six victims between the ages of 3 and 10 that were victimized between Jan. 1, 2023, and earlier this year.

Wade announced the indictments over the weekend, saying the abuse took place in an underground bunker.

Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones on Tuesday described the underground bunker as the basement of an old house at or near the home of a family member of McElroy.

The basement had been converted, at some point, to be used as a storm shelter and that’s where the repeated abuse took place.

Jones said the bunker had a concrete floor, an old bed, a couple of chairs and concrete pilings holding up the ceiling.

Wade’s weekend statement said the investigation began Feb. 4 of this year “following concerns regarding the sexual abuse of children in an underground bunker located in Brent.”

Two of the victims were found to be performing sex acts on each other.

When discovered, they reported that McElroy had done to them, or taught them to do, the things they were doing to each other, Jones said.

The accusations alleged the children were forced to endure vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, and oral sex.

Records state one of the suspects “sold” children “to various clientele for sexual pleasure.”

Jones said the children were reportedly drugged by Velazques-Trejo pouring some type of white powder into their drinks.

“It’s hard to hear their stories and it’s hard to see pictures of this bunker where, according to some of the witnesses, they were drugged,” Jones said.

The victims are in DHR custody.

“As bad as it sounds with (Velazques-Trejo) drugging them, it may be a blessing in disguise because they don’t remember a lot of things,” Jones said.

“I’m hopeful through that they won’t have near the trauma they would have had if they had not been drugged.”

“I have a feeling as this story gets out, I feel like there are going to be more victims,” Jones said.

A fourth person, Timothy St. John, a 23-year-old Bibb County resident, was later arrested in Chilton County on charges of rape, sodomy, human trafficking, kidnapping, bestiality and cruelty to animals.

Court documents allege he had sex with a dog.

“He would tie one child to the bed, one child to a chair and one to one of the support poles,” Bibb County Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones said of Velazques-Trejo.

“Then he would allow people to pay to have sex with the children,” Jones said. “It’s hard to fathom that someone can do this to a child.”

Authorities also believe there are many more suspects. He said there are allegations of up to another 12 men who may have paid to have sex with the children.

“We have no way of identifying these people unless somebody in the community comes forward and says this person told us they did this,” Jones said.

“The children wouldn’t know who they are.”

The grand jury on July 11 indicted McElroy on four counts of first-degree rape, six counts of first-degree human trafficking, six counts of first-degree sodomy and four counts of first-degree kidnapping.

He was initially arrested Feb. 11 on multiple counts of child sex abuse.

Charging documents from his initial arrest state he admitted to fondling the male victim and raping at least one of the young girls.

On April 25, investigators identified Dalton Terrell as another suspect and he, too, admitted to sexual intercourse with a minor, according to court records.

The grand jury indicted Dalton Terrell with six counts of first-degree rape, 12 counts of first-degree sodomy and five counts of human trafficking.

Dalton Terrell, records state, paid at least two adults to use the children – who are now ages 8,6, 10 and 3 – for sexual purposes, including rape and sodomy.

After more investigation, Velazquez-Trejo was arrested on April 29. He is charged with six counts of human trafficking.

The criminal complaint states he sold nude images of the victims to multiple people and sold the children themselves.

The suspects, all from Brent, will be arraigned on the indictments in August.

Court records indicate they all lived in mobile homes approximately a mile from each other at the time of their arrests.

Multiple agencies worked with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office on the investigation including Homeland Security Investigations, the Alabama Fusion Center, the Bibb County Department of Human Resources, the Child Advocacy Center Forensic Interview in Centreville and the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.

Paul Finebaum laughed Wednesday, then went on the offensive in response to what he called “one of the most comical, embarrassing rants” he’s ever heard.

On Tuesday, during ACC Media Days, SMU coach Rhett Lashlee took a shot at the SEC’s depth.

“If I understand correctly, he’s the head coach at SMU,” Finebaum told “Get Up” on Wednesday. “I bet you know where I’m going here. 1987? You know what happened at SMU? They shut the program down.

“While he’s making fun (of the SEC) for winning national championships all over the place, SMU’s the most corrupt program in the history of college football.”

Lashlee — a former Auburn offensive coordinator — claimed the ACC is in fact a deeper league than the SEC.

“It’s just a week in, week out — that’s the league you want to be in, that’s where you want to be,” Lashlee said. “You look at our league, we had like four 10-win teams, two playoff teams, a handful of nine-win teams, 13 bowl teams, there’s just not a lot of easy wins on the schedule.

“And there’s other leagues that claim depth. But like, the SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964. The same six. Not a single one has been different since 1964. That’s top-heavy to me. That’s not depth.”

Finebaum wasn’t having it.

“Rhett Lashlee has the nerve to get up there and throw stones,” the SEC Network analyst said. “By the way, he played at Arkansas and should have nothing to do with it. That’s one of the most comical, embarrassing rants I’ve ever heard.

“I’m glad the audio wasn’t clear. I would’ve come right though that screen.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

Many Americans were shocked at Congress’ recent approval of a Trump-backed bill that will cut $1.1 billion for public broadcasting, but Alabama Public Television leadership said they were able to predict the move due to “bias problems” at NPR and PBS.

In a recent interview with Capital Journal, APTV Executive Director Wayne Reid and Network Director of External Affairs Jack Williams said that they had been on a “crusade” to fix what they alleged was biased coverage from the two nationally funded networks.

“Ever since I came on and we would go to national meetings, one of the things we took to the leadership at NPR and at PBS at every meeting that we went to is we have biased issues and we have bias problems,” Reid told host Todd Stacy.

“And it’s whether they’re in their echo chamber up in New York or Washington, and they kind of listen to each other and say, ‘no, we’re not.’ But the problem is, there was a lot of states that would say there’s problems that we need to get fixed.”

“And we have pushed that from the state level of Alabama and a lot of other states for several years now, since I’ve been here,” Reid continued.

“And Jack started that crusade even before I did.”

Williams added that the two had “cobbled together at least eight, and I think it grew to 12 or 14 state networks that have expressed deep dissatisfaction with how NewsHour programming has been done in Washington Week.”

“I brought this up directly to the CEO of PBS and CEO of NPR in a panel discussion in February, in Washington, D.C.,” he said.

“I’ve had conversations with the chairman of the Board for NPR and the chairman of the board for PBS. And I’ve seen both CEOs this week say, ‘there’s no bias.’”

Reid told AL.com that APT will lose just over $2.8 million in restricted and unrestricted grant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is about 13% of the total annual budget.

The cuts are expected to hit several public radio stations in Alabama, with Huntsville’s WLRH anticipating losing $155,000 of their annual budget, or 13% of operating costs, as AL.com’s Scott Turner recently reported.

“While this presents a challenge to WLRH and hundreds of stations nationwide, smaller and more rural stations could go dark…permanently,” the official WLRH account posted to LinkedIn on Saturday.

While Williams claimed that APT’s programming is more state focused and less biased than NPR or PBS, he said that state programming will continue to be impacted until NPR and PBS leadership address their “bias problems.”

“I think as long as they double down on that [arguing that the stations are unbiased], it’s going to make it more difficult for us to work with the federal government in the future,” he told Stacy.

A 14-year-old fan wasn’t happy with Zach Bryan after, he said, he waited for a chance to take a picture with the country music star after a concert.

Bryan took exception to the comment and let it be known.

The interaction took place on a now-deleted TikTok post, but the conversation was capture and posted to Instagram.

“We waited until 4 a.m.,” the fan posted after Saturday’s performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, per American Songwriter, adding that the video shows Bryan “driving away from his fans that waited 4 hours to meet him; he didn’t even roll down his window to say hi.”

Bryan replied in the comment section.

“You’re not entitled after someone plays two and a half hours to a picture or a hello,” the singer replied, per a screenshot posted to Instagram.

“I’m literally a 14-year-old fan and this video was literally a joke,” the user replied. “What a d–k.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

Alabama men’s basketball will face Furman in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 26 in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman announced Wednesday.

The Crimson Tide and the Paladins will take part in the inaugural game in a freshly renovated Timmons Arena.

“There is a lot of anticipation around the reopening of Timmons Arena, and the opportunity to play a national power like Alabama certainly brings a lot excitement to the table,” Paladin coach Bob Richey said in a statement. “We want fans and the city of Greenville to enjoy a first-class experience at Timmons Arena while helping us create one of the best homecourt advantages in the country. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to see two great teams compete at a high level, in a brand-new arena, so get your tickets now!”

Alabama also has a preseason exhibition scheduled against Florida State set for Oct. 16 in Birmingham at Boutwell Auditorium.

The Crimson Tide is set to play its seventh season under coach Nate Oats. He is fresh off a second consecutive Elite Eight appearance after reaching the Final Four in 2024.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

It’s been a busy offseason for James Clemens running back MJ Gideon.

But, a successful one.

The rising junior’s recruitment saw a heavy spike this offseason, with the running back most recently picking up an offer from Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss after attending a camp in Oxford, Miss.

The growing list of Division I offers for Gideon also includes Missouri, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Liberty, North Alabama, Alabama A&M and UT-Martin.

“I’ve been just traveling a lot all June, really,” said Gideon, who also attended camps at Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama this summer. “But, it’s been good. It’s been fun, just enjoying everything.”

Last season saw Gideon run the ball 126 times for 847 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore for the Jets, also hauling in eight catches for 110 yards.

Gideon will be a key returner for the Jets’ backfield, which graduated three-time all-state athlete Ty Doughty — now with Mercer — and senior running back Cam Berry, who signed with Carson-Newman.

The running back, who stands at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, has been encouraged by his recent pickup in recruitment following a standout sophomore year with the Jets.

“It feels amazing,” Gideon said. “I’ve always wanted to do this. This coming now, especially not playing my freshman season, is really good.”

Gideon said he has learned plenty from new James Clemens head coach Juan Johnson, who was previously an offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Hewitt-Trussville before spending last season at Baker.

“Anybody who knows anything about me knows I was a running back coach for many years,” Johnson said. “I’ve probably had, in my last 11 years, I want to say I’ve had 14 all-state running backs between my time at Hewitt and at Baker.”

Johnson has been encouraged by his running backs this offseason, with the room also adding former Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa back Christian Richey to its offense this offseason.

Richey, a fellow junior alongside Gideon, claimed all-state honors last season after racking up 1,301 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns for the Patriots. He holds Division I offers from North Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, Delaware State and UT-Martin.

“They’re really good people,” Johnson said. “They’ve got to go prove it, though: what’s on paper doesn’t really matter. You’ve got to go prove it every single Friday night.”

Gideon is confident the duo of running backs will be among the top — if not at the top — of the state this season.

James Clemens opens the season at Gardendale on Friday, Aug. 29, before its first game in Madison against archrival Bob Jones on Friday, Sept. 5.

“It’s going to help a lot, contribute to our team a whole lot, too,” Gideon said of the addition of Richey. “We’re very good together.”

University of Alabama at Birmingham officials are telling staff to cut back on spending and limit hiring as the school adjusts to dramatic federal funding cuts.

At a recent campus-wide town hall, UAB asked faculty and staff to adhere to “cost containment measures” after federal grants were terminated.

AL.com also reviewed a document, circulated among the College of Arts and Sciences, that said staff should reduce discretionary spending, limit overtime and new hires and look for other ways to cut costs. According to the document, more specific budget details will be shared soon.

A UAB spokesman told AL.com there are no plans for layoffs or benefits reductions at this time.

“We are aware of inaccurate online rumors,” Tyler Greer said. “There are no plans for institutional layoffs, and no decisions have been made regarding changes to benefits for next year. Benefit adjustments are typical and part of our regular annual benefits review process, which is ongoing. We will continue to focus on responsible financial stewardship. Regarding the town hall, there was no agenda or minutes taken.”

An internal document distributed after the July 14 town hall and reviewed by AL.com told College of Arts and Science staff that “due to uncertainty in the higher education landscape related to enrollment and federally funded sponsored research, it is the responsibility of leadership to ensure that all expenditures are mission critical and business essential.”

The college told its own staff to take the following actions to limit expenses:

• Continue to significantly reduce all types of discretionary spending
• Continue to tightly control new hiring in your unit
• Review class sizes, course loads
• Significantly reduce/eliminate overtime pay, extra compensation for various activities
• Postpone, extend, or eliminate equipment purchases
• Review memberships, sponsorships, etc.

Greer confirmed the letter was not “an institution-wide communication.”

“It was sent only to the College of Arts and Sciences from its leadership,” Greer said. He said he’s unaware of any other emails being distributed to other departments or colleges.

“Leaders of our schools, colleges and units are encouraged to plan their budgets with scrutiny on expenses to focus on responsible financial stewardship and best position them to adapt to potential developments,” Greer said. “Areas of possible costs savings they can consider include non-essential expenses like certain travel, incidental meals and events. UAB entities manage their budgets locally, and strategies to manage expenses and remain financially strong vary among them.”

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college at UAB, with more than 4,700 students, according to a 2024-25 annual report. The college employs 175 faculty members, the second-highest amount at the university.

UAB is one of several Alabama universities losing millions of dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The grants were cut because they may have involved diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to Grant-Watch.us, UAB has lost more than $18 million in NIH grants and $1 million in NSF grant funding. One of the UAB grants studying COVID-19 included keywords such as vaccine and vaccination.

The next University of Alabama System board of trustees meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11.

AL.com reporter Savannah Tryens-Fernandes contributed reporting.