Jackie Robinson West parents are suing ESPN and Stephen A. Smith

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Parents from Jackie Robinson West have filed a lawsuit against ESPN and on-air personality Stephen A. Smith, according to The Big Lead.

Smith is being sued for defamation, after making comments suggesting Jackie Robinson West's former coach Darold Butler fabricated documents and knew certain members on the team were ineligible as the team made its run to the Little League World Series.

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Smith's comments stem from an appearance on the show First Take, and can be seen in the video below:

During that run, the team became a feel-good story. The team charged through local competition in order to make it to the Little League World Series, where they lost in the championship to South Korea.

Shortly after their season ended, allegations arose that the club had cheated. One of the coaches from a team that Jackie Robinson West defeated accused the club of bringing in ringers from outside the proper districts. The club was also accused of manipulating district lines in order to gain an competitive advantage. Months after those allegations were made Little League stripped Jackie Robinson West of its wins and U.S. title.

Smith may be one of the bigger names mentioned in the lawsuit, but the parents are also going after Little League International, as well as officials connected with the program.

The lawsuit filed by parents of Jackie Robinson West alleges that Butler diligently submitted the necessary paperwork to Little League International, but that Little League either ignored potential boundary issues, or kept them a secret in order to profit from the popularity of Jackie Robinson West.

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Little League officials allegedly waited until after Jackie Robinson West had completed its season to inform league president Bill Haley that the club had used ineligible players. Despite its findings, Little League still arranged the team's visit to the White House and inclusion in the 2014 World Series in San Francisco.

Chris Janes, the opposing coach who blew the whistle on Jackie Robinson West, was also named in the lawsuit. Janes told DNAinfo.com's David Matthews and Mark Konkol that the lawsuit is "laughable."

The lawsuit can be read in its entirety over at DNAinfo.com.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik