Jim Calhoun accused of sexual discrimination, fostering 'boys club' atmosphere at new basketball program
Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been named in a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the University of St. Joseph’s, where the former UConn coach has recently built a program from the ground up.
Jaclyn Piscitelli, a former associate athletic director who was fired from USJ in June, claims she was terminated after she complained about men’s behavior in the athletic department after Calhoun arrived in 2018.
Calhoun built the men’s basketball program at the Hartford, Connecticut Catholic school after it admitted men for the first time in 2018. In the lawsuit, Piscitelli accuses Calhoun of fostering a “boys club” atmosphere that resulted in violations of Title IX protections ensuring equal opportunity for women and girls in education, according to the Associated Press.
Piscitelli accuses Calhoun of multiple violations, including calling her “hot” and demanding that she clean up after him.
From the lawsuit:
“There was an instance in which Calhoun knocked a number of single-serve coffee 'K-cups' onto the floor and stepped on them, creating a mess of coffee grounds and packaging on the floor and made plaintiff clean them up, stating that if he made such a mess at home, his wife would clean up after him.”
Piscitelli claims that male members of the athletic department staff would belittle her and regularly leave work in the middle of the day to golf with Calhoun.
School spokeswomen Diana Sousa declined comment to AP outside of acknowledging the existence of the lawsuit.
“We have received and are reviewing the lawsuit,” Sousa told AP via email. “The University of Saint Joseph takes compliance with all matters relating to Title IX very seriously.”
Calhoun, 77, led UConn to three national championships during his 26 years as the Huskies head coach, where he compiled a 629-245 record from 1986 to 2012. He put together a 248-137 record at Northeastern before joining UConn.
He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2005.
USJ finished 16-12 in its inaugural season under Calhoun.
More from Yahoo Sports:
