Former Women’s Lacrosse Coach Sues ASU for Wrongful Termination

Arizona State University’s former women’s lacrosse coach is suing the college and its board of regents over alleged retaliatory conduct and wrongful termination related to her gender inequity complaints.

Courtney Connor, a nationally recognized women’s lacrosse player, alleges that the university retaliated against her complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace and her reports about gender inequity in the athletics department that culminated in the termination of her employment without cause.

She says the university violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Prior to joining the university in 2015, Connor was working with several sports publications like ESPN and Inside Lacrosse as a women’s lacrosse analyst and a men’s lacrosse sideline reporter, according to the complaint. Before her broadcasting career, she was a five-time Division I NCAA national champion and a member of the U.S. National Team.

ASU hired Connor to build its women’s lacrosse team from scratch, the complaint stated. Over the course of her employment, Connor spoke to NCAA investigators about the gender inequity in the ASU athletics department which she alleges caused the university to retaliate in the form of exacerbating the inequalities.

Connor alleges the university retaliated in response to her complaints about recurring sexual harassment in the form of inappropriate sexual comments and touching by her colleagues.

ASU didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment.

Ekstrand & Ekstrand LLP represents Connor.

The case Connor v. Ariz. State Univ., D. Ariz., No. 2:23-cv-00550-JFM, 4/3/23.