By Chloe Scheller
Two former student athletes sued the field hockey coaches at Seton Hill University in federal court, claiming they suffered emotional, psychological, and physical abuse at the hands of the defendants. They also claimed that Seton Hill University failed to investigate their complaints.
The plaintiffs — Shannon Litvin of Long Island, New York and Lauren Schumacher of Patuxent, Maryland — alleged they began experiencing the abuse in 2009.
The laundry list of defendants includes head coach Whitney Harness, assistants Gillian Hilbert and Joanna Pichardo; athletic director Christopher Snyder, acting president Bibiano Boerio, NCAA compliance officer Bruce Ivory, Title IX compliance officer Darlene Sauers, and vice president of affirmative action Lois Sculco.
Representing Litvin and Schumacher is Attorney Nancy McGee. Last fall, McGee claimed that she met with university officials to come up with a solution to the complaints, but the school allegedly did not correct any issues and allowed Harness, Hilbert, and Pichardo to continue coaching at the school.
The lawsuit alleged that Litvin and Schumacher suffered physical punishment, public humiliation, and excessive training. One of the coaches, Harness, allegedly required that team practices would be held in the dark, the only source of light from her vehicle’s headlights. The students were allegedly called “losers” and ridiculed for their performance in public.
Litvin sought out counseling from a school psychologist, according to the suit. She also claimed to have passed out during practice and had to seek medical attention, after experiencing health issues associated with the medication she was taking. Litvin also alleged that team members were scared to assist her with these issues out of fear of being punished themselves.
The lawsuit alleged that once Litvin resumed attending practices she continued to have problems with the coaches. Upon failing to finish a 3.1-mile run, the coaches allegedly retaliated against her by forcing her to run 100-yard sprints.
The lawsuit also lists an incident of which Harness allegedly threw a water bottle and hit a player during a game in 2012 because she was annoyed with the team’s performance during the match. At one point she also allegedly said to the team that she had free range to do whatever she wanted because “no one will fire a pregnant coach.”
McGee said that the university failed to recognize the “red flags” in their field hockey program. “These poor girls have been trying very hard to get things changed,” McGee said. “The university claimed to have done a purported investigation, and they really never did anything.”
A Seton Hill spokesperson took a different position.
“When Seton Hill learned of the alleged unprofessional and ineffective conduct in the fall 2013 semester, the university immediately began an investigation. As a result of that investigation, measures were taken to address the unprofessional and ineffective conduct,” said Seton Hill University spokesperson Jennifer Reeger. “While the investigation was closed, the administration continues to monitor the situation and work closely with the coaches and student-athletes involved.”
McGee claimed that Seton Hill’s team has the highest player loss out of any other NCAA field hockey program. McGee said she conducted 40 different interviews with current and former players and their parents. During the interview she learned that four former players had quit the team or transferred to a new university.
Reeger countered, saying, “Seton Hill expects the highest standards of ethics, integrity and professionalism from all members of the university community. The safety, welfare and well-being of Seton Hill community members, as well as the safety and well-being of others, will always be a primary concern for all of us at Seton Hill University.”
Schumacher decided to finish her schooling at Seton Hill and Litvin will transfer to a different school, according to McGee.
