Former University women’s track and field coach Sally Harmon followed through with her October threat to file a lawsuit against the University, alleging the athletic department sexually discriminated against her when she was terminated last year.
In the lawsuit filed Dec. 20 in Lane County Circuit Court, Harmon seeks more than $1.1 million from the University, Athletic Director Bill Moos, track and field head coach Martin Smith and the state board of higher education.
Harmon, a University graduate and a women’s throws events assistant
for 18 years, was fired in spring 2003 after the
athletic department consolidated the men’s and women’s track programs.
Olympic hammer thrower Lance Deal, a volunteer men’s throws coach since 2002, was hired to coach the combined program despite having “no paid Division I coaching experience” and limited volunteer coaching experience, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims Harmon has lost wages and benefits amounting to $122,160. Harmon also seeks compensation for other damages, such as emotional distress, sleeplessness, depression, anxiety and shame and humiliation, and punitive damages from Moos and Smith in an amount to be determined
at trial.
University officials were not available for comment as of Thursday, but University General Counsel Melinda Grier said in a previous interview that the athletic department’s hiring decision was probably acceptable.
“The reason you choose one
person over another is you select the one you believe is most qualified based on what your criteria are,” said Grier, who was responding to Harmon’s decision in October to file a lawsuit. “That’s what happened here.”
Harmon’s attorney, Suzanne Chanti, was not available for comment.
The lawsuit alleges the University, Moos and Smith “engaged in a pattern and practice of discriminating against women student athletes and employees within the athletic department, including discriminating in pay and benefits,” and asserts the gender inequity is long-standing.
In July 2000, Harmon refused to sign her annual contract after learning a new men’s assistant coach was being paid $50,000 while she earned $35,724, according to the lawsuit. She later received a raise
to help rectify the problem, but in an October interview Harmon said she still earned less than the new male coach.
In addition to the upwards of $1 million sought for emotional distress and the $122,000 lost in earnings in benefits, the suit requests that Harmon
be hired into the combined track program or be paid an amount to
be determined
at trial.
But the lawsuit is about values, not money, Harmon said in October.
“(The lawsuit is) not going to rectify the damage done to me,” she said. “But walking away from this and not making a statement of what’s been done, and that it’s wrong, would be a slap in the face.”

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