Former UMD Coaches Seek $18 Million in Damages

Pre-trial Conference Starts For Former UMD Coaches

 The lawsuit filed by three former UMD coaches who claimed discrimination against the school made its way into the courtroom on Monday. The pre-trial conference focused mostly on scheduling the timeline for the trial so each side has time to prepare their case.

The lawsuit filed in September by former women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller, former softball coach Jen Banford, and former women’s basketball coach Annette Wiles seek $18 million in damages.

The three women base their claims on discrimination of age, gender, sexual orientation, and national origin.

“I don’t think it’s going to get ugly in the sense of nasty or hostile. We’ll be aggressive and assertive in the terms of demanding the information we need to prepare our case,” said Dan Siegel, an attorney for the coaches.

Miller’s contract was not renewed. Former coach Banford later turned down a contract and Wiles resigned.

“We continue to stay with our initial response that we continue to refute the claims of discrimination and we plan to defend ourselves aggressively through the legal proceedings,” said Lynne Williams, director of University of Minnesota Duluth Marketing and Public Relations.

The judge will soon set a timeline for the case. It’s expected to go to trial in the next year to a year and a half.