SALT LAKE CITY — An athlete at Westminster College has filed a lawsuit against a coach, claiming they retaliated against the student after a complaint over a sexually-charged initiation ritual.
The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday names both the school and coach as defendants.
According to the filing, the senior claimed the coach allowed an activity called the "Hot Seat" in which freshmen and transfer players were called to sit in front of the bus while the team is traveling.
"A spotlight is then shone on the player, and the player is required to answer sexually inappropriate and personally invasive questions posed by upper classmen into a microphone that broadcasts the player’s answers throughout the team bus," the lawsuit claims.
The student said the seat where players sit was directly adjacent to the coach.
"In the presence of [the coach], those in the “hot seat” are asked, and
expected to answer, these highly offensive and intrusive questions about their personal sex lives, including explicit details about specific sexual conduct and activities, all while [the coach] is not only privy to this information by virtue of these “hot seat” sessions unfolding in [the coach's] presence, but also with [the coach] actively participating in or engaging with these sexually explicit “hot seat” interrogations," according to the filing.
The student said while traveling with the team in 2021, they felt "trapped" and "uncomfortable and distraught" when subjected to the activity. Despite the misgivings, the player put on their "game face" and got through the experience without making eye contact with the coach.
According to the lawsuit, players on the team were instructed by the coach and senior players that they were not to record the initiation and "what happens on the bus stays on the bus."
The player's family contacted a Westminster College official to report the harassment and abuse. A complaint was filed and the school allegedly retained outside counsel to investigate the allegations.
The lawsuit claims the coach was made aware of the complaint and that the player's family had submitted it on her behalf. During the investigation, the coach was placed on a brief administrative leave and attended training with the rest of the team and coaching staff.
Following the complaint and training, the student-athlete claimed the coach retaliated by taking away playing time or benching the student altogether.
FOX 13 News reached out to Westminster College regarding the lawsuit and received the following statement:
"Westminster College takes sexual harassment concerns very seriously. At this time, we have not been served legal papers regarding the lawsuit and don’t know what has been alleged. Regardless, we don’t discuss ongoing matters involving our students and respect the privacy of our students."
