The former coach of the Harvard women’s ice hockey team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the University on Tuesday, accusing top administration officials of forcing her to retire over false misconduct allegations.
Katey Stone, who coached the team for 29 years before stepping down last year, alleged in the suit that Harvard officials unfairly scrutinized her coaching practices even though her male counterparts at the University engaged in similar behavior.
Investigations published in the Boston Globe and the Athletic reported allegations that Stone fostered a toxic environment on the team, including that she was insensitive to players’ mental health issues and downplayed injuries.
Following her retirement, Athletic Director Erin McDermott wrote that an independent review found the team had “not fostered a culture of hazing” and that it was “clear that some traditions in recent years were experienced differently by different people.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, alleges that Stone was forced to retire under the threat of being fired, and that she was “harshly punished and excoriated for engaging in the same coaching strategies and behaviors” as her male peers.
A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.
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