Jim Calhoun Issues Statement in Response to Sexual Discrimination Allegations

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Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun issued a statement to the Hartford Courant on Saturday night responding to allegations of sexual discrimination and creating a hostile work environment.

Calhoun, who came out of retirement to coach the newly created men’s basketball team at St. Joseph, acknowledged he was flawed but said he "at no time, knowingly treated any woman unfairly because of her gender" and has "never treated any woman inappropriately."

He also added that he has long been a strong supporter of equal rights for women, noting that he worked for a female president at UConn, works for a female president at St. Joseph and married a feminist.

"As for the accusations that have been reported, I will say only this - I’m not sure when asking a colleague if they would mind opening the door because my hands were full became discrimination or when self-deprecation for being an aging, clumsy husband became an insult," Calhoun wrote. "And call me old-fashioned in this regard…I use the word 'hot' to describe the weather and the temperature of my morning coffee. And the only woman I openly compliment is my wife of 53 years and frankly, I call her 'beautiful' or 'pretty' ...because she is."

The statement comes after former St. Joseph's associate athletic director Jaclyn Piscitelli filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday accusing Calhoun and assistant coach Glen Miller of sexual discrimination. In addition to alleging violations of Title IX, Piscitelli's attorneys say she was fired in June after complaining about the conduct of men in the athletic department, including the 77-year-old Calhoun.

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.

Calhoun, who did not agree to an interview with the Courant, wrote that he was "stunned and saddened" to read what he called "inflated and misleading headlines."

St. Joseph has yet to comment on the allegations.