Katie Stone, the former coach of Harvard University's women's ice hockey team, filed a lawsuit against the university on Tuesday accusing it of sex discrimination, alleging that reports of misconduct were false and that the university undervalued and underpaid female coaches.
Stone, who is due to retire in June 2023, announced the lawsuit at a news conference Tuesday afternoon alongside his legal team and other former Harvard hockey players.
Stone coached at Harvard for 27 seasons before resigning amid an investigation into allegations of mistreatment of players, including insensitivity to mental health issues, downplaying injuries, leading derogatory chants against players and creating an atmosphere in which players pitted themselves against one another in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with her. Athleticalso reported bullying within their program. Athletic They detailed hazing and initiation rites that involved forced drinking and sexually-charged skits and traditions, including an annual event called “naked skating” that began decades ago.
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard expelled Stone because of these allegations of misconduct, but Stone has called the allegations false and described the university's actions as “part of a larger culture at Harvard where female coaches are undervalued, underpaid, highly scrutinized and held to shockingly stricter standards of behavior than their male coaches.”
“These days, coaches, especially female coaches, are taking a huge risk by demanding the best from their athletes,” Stone said in prepared comments Tuesday. “The youth mental health crisis is real. Coaches are always trying to strike a balance between applying too much pressure and accepting mediocrity, but cultural norms make it difficult to set a high bar.”
“Female coaches are viewed by many players, parents and administrators as harmful and even emotionally abusive. With increased scrutiny and bias compared to male coaches, the coaching industry is losing talented coaches at an alarming rate,” Stone said.
Harvard University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Neither Ms. Stone nor her lawyer, Andrew T. Miltenberg of the law firm Nesenoff & Miltenberg, directly addressed the specific allegations against her. AthleticHer story has been completely rejected, except for a racist phrase she used in the locker room in March 2022, saying “too many chiefs … not enough Indians,” which Miltenberg described as a “common phrase” that “a lot of us have used.”
Miltenberg said the incident “provided the catalyst, the pretext, for Harvard to launch a campaign to undermine and ultimately force the resignation of Katie Stone. The campaign, he said, “was initiated by Coach Stone pointing out the fact that she was undervalued and underpaid.”
Around 2017, Stone and other female coaches at Harvard “began to strongly advocate for transparency and equality in pay between male and female coaches at Harvard,” according to the lawsuit.
Harvard has hired a law firm to conduct an outside review of Stone's program. Athletic's March 2023 report detailed allegations of bullying, initiation rituals, body shaming and an environment that one program official described as a “mental health Hunger Games.”
Athletic The paper reported that in years past when “nude skating” was implemented, freshmen were instructed to perform “Superman” slides on the ice, with some players experiencing ice burns and bleeding nipples. The “nude skating” took place in January 2023, one day after a Boston Globe article first reported Stone's alleged misconduct against players. After one player expressed outrage over the incident, Stone and his staff met with the team to inform them that it was an unsanctioned activity.
Going deeper
Bullying, nude skating, and the 'Mental Health Hunger Games': The dark side of Harvard women's ice hockey
According to an internal email obtained from athletic director Erin McDermott. AthleticThe findings of an outside investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block found that “some recent traditions have been experienced differently by different people, and not everyone has felt comfortable raising concerns about those activities or programs.”
In resigning, Stone said, “Coach knows in his heart that it is time for a change” and that he “looks forward to supporting the next chapter of Harvard women's hockey.” The news release announcing his resignation did not mention the allegations against Stone or an external investigation. Following the investigation, the school said Harvard's athletic department would begin efforts to end team traditions that were “detrimental to team culture” and address player safety and wellness.
In his lawsuit, Stone said he was unaware of inappropriate behavior such as “nude skating” and stressed to players that any bullying behavior was prohibited. It also said he “fostered an environment of respect and dignity. Although Harvard University allows, if not openly encourages, its male coaches to exercise discretion over how to most effectively coach and motivate players on their teams, Coach Stone was severely disciplined and criticized for engaging in similar coaching tactics and behavior.”
Stone said Tuesday that his number one priority has always been the well-being of his players and that he has been instructed by Harvard to remain silent as he is embroiled in an investigation and facing accusations from former players.
“The result has been incredible damage to my career, my team, my personal and professional reputation, and my life. Today, with this lawsuit filed, my voice will finally be heard,” she said.
She declined to answer questions from reporters in attendance, citing the ongoing litigation.
Three former Harvard players, Callie Armstrong, Nicole Corriello and Jamie Hagerman Finney, defended Stone, saying she played a pivotal role in their personal and professional development and created a culture of high achievement and excellence within the program.
In his lawsuit, Stone also names 50 Jane Doe defendants he is suing for defamation. Stone alleges that these defendants made false statements to The Boston Globe and Harvard University to defame him. Stone also sues unnamed defendants for conspiracy, alleging that they falsely represented Stone as “engaged in or contributed to a culture of bullying.”
Stone described those who spoke out against her as “a small minority of people who felt unsupported.”
Miltenberg suggested his strict coaching standards were at the root of players' dissatisfaction.
“Some people who have been spoiled their whole lives don't like that.”
(Photo: Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
