A university golf programs director has resigned in the face of a sexual orientation discrimination lawsuit. He says that he resigned to focus on other things in his life besides golf and says his resignation is not because of the lawsuit. He continues to deny that he discriminated against a former associate coach due to her sexual orientation and says that her lawsuit against the university defames him.
A former associate women’s golf coach says that after she was hired she felt that things changed for her at her place of employment. She says in the lawsuit that the change came about because the former director learned that she was a lesbian. She says that her job duties changed after he found out she was a lesbian; instead of coaching she was given administrative duties. She also says that she was not allowed to travel with the team because she was a lesbian.
The former associate women’s coach resigned because of the changes and first took a severance package, but changed her mind and filed a lawsuit after she says she was told that her sexual orientation was the basis for the job changes. The woman worked for the University of Minnesota. Like California, Minnesota prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The former director of the golf programs claims that the former associate women’s coach was an insolent employee that went behind his back and would not follow directions. He says that her lawsuit has the aim of financial gain and publicity and defames him.
Source:
Key to U golf suit: Did Harris, Rose comment about coach being lesbian? (Pioneer Press)