MONMOUTH, Ore. — A group of former athletes from the Western Oregon women’s basketball team has initiated a federal lawsuit, claiming both emotional and physical abuse during their time with the program.
The suit, filed recently in Marion County, seeks a total of $28 million in damages. The defendants named in the lawsuit include the university itself, its athletic director, the president, the dean of students, as well as two coaches involved with the team.
According to the plaintiffs, the alleged abusive behaviors took place during the 2023-24 basketball season and resulted in significant negative impacts on the players’ well-being, leading to issues such as eating disorders and severe panic attacks.
The former players contend that coaches Jessica Peatross and Demetrius Marlow inflicted physical abuse by imposing excessive and unreasonable exercise as punishment, which they argue is in contravention of NCAA regulations. Additionally, it is claimed that both coaches made derogatory comments regarding the players.
Following complaints made by a group of players, these athletes were allegedly cut from the Division II team, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the season just six games short of completion.
Jodi Noyes, a former player who lost her scholarship, shared her experience during a news conference, stating, “I met with the coaches, and they conveyed that no one was welcome back, claiming we weren’t resilient enough and not aligned with their team culture. It was truly heartbreaking and devastating.”
Noyes, along with several other players, joined in announcing the lawsuit at this event.
Following the cancellation of the basketball season, the university launched its own investigation into the claims but concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Western Oregon University asserted, “We have received the lawsuit and are currently reviewing its contents.”
Attempts to reach the coaches implicated in the lawsuit for their comments were unsuccessful.