Report: St. Joseph Coach Jim Calhoun Named in Sex Discrimination Lawsuit

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Saint Joseph's former associate athletic director filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the university accusing basketball coach Jim Calhoun and assistant coach Glen Miller of sexual discrimination, according to the Hartford Courant. 

Jaclyn Piscitelli filed the lawsuit which says former athletic director Bill Cardarelli failed to act when she talked to him about the allegations against Calhoun. Piscitelli alleges Calhoun, who is the former longtime UConn basketball coach, created a "male-dominated, hostile work environment" for female employees at the university.

The Hartford Courant reports the lawsuit includes several examples of "degrading treatment" from Calhoun and Miller towards female employees, including one referred to as the K-cup incident.

The lawsuit reportedly alleges Calhoun knocked several coffee K-cups to the floor and stepped on them, causing coffee grinds to spread all over the floor. Calhoun made Piscitelli clean up the mess and said his wife would clean it up for him at home. Cardarelli reportedly saw the incident and told Piscitelli that he found it "amusing."

The lawsuit also alleges that Calhoun and Miller made multiple inappropriate comments to Piscitelli, including Calhoun telling her, "Well, you're certainly hot." It also accuses Miller of telling her "I'd swipe left too," in reference to the dating app Tinder.

Piscitelli was fired in June and replaced by sports information director Josh Ingham.

According to the Hartford Courant, the lawsuit accuses Calhoun of turning Saint Joseph's athletic department into a "boy's club" and giving other staffers, including Ingham, extra interns and staff. Piscitelli reportedly did not receive the same treatment.

The university was an all-women's school until 2018. Calhoun was first hired as a consultant to help establish the DIII men's basketball program and was later named head coach in September 2018.