Minnesota Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit by Former UMD Coaches

DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by three former coaches against the University of Minnesota Duluth citing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Former University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller, former softball coach Jen Banford and former women’s basketball coach Annette Wiles appealed a judge’s decision to dismiss their lawsuit in January.

According to court records, the coaches’ state claims were dismissed because the judge found they were filed after the statute of limitations had passed and that they were based on claims that had already been decided at the federal level.

The Court of Appeals issued its decision on Tuesday morning.

Miller won a federal lawsuit against the university in March of last year that awarded her more than $3.7 million, and an additional $460,000 in February, after a jury found Miller faced sex discrimination and retaliation at the university when her contract was not renewed.