Rutgers-Newark University Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination by Coaches

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A lawsuit filed against Rutgers-Newark University and individuals members of the administration alleges that several basketball coaching staff members frequently made racial and sexist comments to former-coaches and players.

The complaint contends that the university administration was notified several times about the abusive and discriminatory behavior, but allowed it to continue.

The Rutgers-Newark discrimination lawsuit is brought by Kevin Morris, the former head coach of women’s basketball at Rutgers, as well as seven ex-players on the women’s basketball team.

The complaint asserts that defendant William Zasowski, the interim head coach after Morris was let go, and defendant Mark Griffin, the athletic director, “repeatedly made racist, homophobic, sexist and hostile comments about and in the presence of Plaintiff Student Athletes.”

The lawsuit also claims that Morris and others brought these actions to the attention of the Assistant Chancellor of Student Life, defendant Gerald Massenburg, but nothing was done to curb this behavior. Instead, the complaint claims that Morris was fired and several of the student players were retaliated against for complaining against Griffin and Zasowski.

“Rutgers conspired and cooperated with the Individual Defendants and their agents to cover-up and perpetuate this illegal conduct; rather than preventing and remedying the illegal conduct, Defendants further engaged in the retaliatory, discriminatory and harassing conduct against anyone who opposed their actions,” the complaint argues.

Morris states that he was the head coach of the women’s basketball team and the women’s tennis team from 2001 until 2013. According to the complaint, during those 12 years, athletic director Griffin “showed no interest in the Rutgers women’s basketball or tennis teams or, their student athletes, and went so far as to tell Morris that women’s tennis ‘was not a sport’.” Morris claims that under Griffin, the men’s sports teams were treated more favorably, and Morris “would regularly make inappropriate, homophobic and racist comments.”

When Morris complained to Massenburg and human resources personnel, the complaint alleges that Griffin retaliated against Morris. For example, Griffin threatened that Morris would be fired if he did not meet a certain quota of players. Morris took medical leave in 2014 because of hostile work environment, and was later fired by Rutgers-Newark University.

The discrimination lawsuit asserts that the interim head coach for the women’s basketball team, Zasowski, made the discrimination worse. The seven ex-player plaintiffs allege that Zasowski “called players ‘mentally retarded’ when they made mistakes,” commented that several African-American’s players hair had a “nappy look” and that they “combed their hair with firecrackers,” and told one student that “she was lucky to be playing on a team ‘with two senior dikes’.”

When one of the plaintiff players, team captain Sharee Gordon, confronted Zasowski about these comments and the hostile environment it created, Zasowski allegedly denied the claims. The lawsuit contends that Gordon never started another game, in retaliation for her bringing up the issue with Zasowski. The former players say they “loved playing basketball, [but] ultimately could not wait for the season to end because of the hostile and retaliatory atmosphere created by Zasowski.”

The lawsuit alleges that Rutgers-Newark University and the three individual defendants violated New Jersey anti-discrimination laws. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for Morris and the seven former basketball players.

The plaintiffs are represented by Kevin Barber of Niedweske Barber Hager LLC.

The Rutgers-Newark Basketball Coaching Staff Discrimination Lawsuit is Kevin Morris, et al. v. Rutgers-Newark University, et al., Case No. L-3280-17, in the Essex County Superior Court of New Jersey.