Married ex-NFL player accused of promoting younger lover at $80,000-a-year New Jersey private school

A married former football star has become embroiled in a romance scandal at New Jersey's most expensive private school.

Ex-Vikings player Sullivan 'Tripp' Welborne, who is 57 and serves as Dean of Athletics and Co-Curricular Education, is accused of having a 'quid pro quo' affair with a much younger colleague at the $80,000-a-year Lawrenceville School.

That is according to a lawsuit, detailed by the New York Post on Sunday, which accuses Welborne of creating a new job for his lover, 38-year-old Nicole Stock, and 'using his position of power to entice [her] into a sexual relationship in exchange for preferential treatment.'

The suit claims he also gave Stock an ATV to ride around the boarding school's picturesque campus near Princeton, where his two children are former students.

'Welborne would spend gamedays riding around on Ms. Stock’s John Deere ATV,' claims the lawsuit, which was filed by two former longtime employees.

Karla Despinis and Richard Rienzo were fired earlier this year after complaining about the alleged affair, court documents claim.

Welborne was hired by Lawrenceville back in 2015 and, according to his LinkedIn page, the 57-year-old's role encompasses 'a wide spectrum of tasks to ensure student-athletes' emotional health, physical fitness, and overall wellbeing.'

But the lawsuit accuses the former NFL player of developing a new role - 'director of athletics' - and appointing Stock rather than Rienzo and Despinis. The director of athletics serves as second-in-command to Welborne. 

It's claimed that both Rienzo and Despinis - who had been with the school for two decades - were told in March that their contracts would not be renewed.

They reportedly suspected Stock and Welborne were having an affair as far as back as 2021, accusing them of flirting and touching. 

Stock, who joined Lawrenceville in 2018, once grabbed Welborne’s buttocks at a school hockey game, according to court documents.

'Plaintiffs were forced out of their roles when... [their] married supervisor, began an inappropriate quid-pro-quo sexual, gender-based, and/or romantic relationship with another employee, Nicole Stock, wherein Defendant Welborne rewarded Ms. Stock with gifts, favorable treatment, and promotions,' the suit says.

'It became increasingly clear to Plaintiffs that Defendant Welborne and Ms Stock were likely engaging in a quid pro quo sexual relationship.'

Rienzo and Despinis reportedly complained about the 'inappropriate relationship' but they were then 'excommunicated' and later fired. 

The school - which charges $80,690 for boarding tuition and $66,400 for day school - 'betrayed our clients,' their lawyers said.

But a Lawrenceville spokesperson told the Post the school 'disagrees with the accusations of wrongdoing in the complaint and plans to vigorously defend our position.'

Welborne was a two-time Unanimous All-American while at Michigan before injuries curtailed his professional career with the Vikings.

The Daily Mail contacted both Welborne and Stock for comment.