Former Harvard women’s ice hockey coach Katey Stone sued the university on Tuesday for gender discrimination, alleging that Harvard forced her to resign following reports of inappropriate behavior that she said were unfounded and that the university undervalued and underpaid female coaches.

Stone, who retires in June 2023, announced the lawsuit at a news conference Tuesday afternoon alongside his legal team and former Harvard hockey players.

Stone coached at Harvard for 27 seasons but left his position amid an investigation into allegations of player mistreatment, including insensitivity to mental health issues, downplaying injuries, using derogatory chants toward players and creating a climate where players were pitted against each other to please him, according to multiple articles, including a March 2023 report AthleticShe also reported being harassed on her show. Athletic Elaborate hazing and initiation rituals that include forced alcohol consumption and sexualized skits and rituals, including an annual event called “naked skating” that dates back decades.

The lawsuit alleges that Harvard fired Stone over the allegations of inappropriate behavior. Stone says the allegations are false and describes the school’s actions as “part of a broader culture at the University in which female coaches are undervalued, underpaid, subject to intense scrutiny, and held to breathtakingly stricter standards of conduct than their male counterparts.”

“These days, when coaches, especially female coaches, push athletes to perform at their best, they take a significant risk,” Stone said in prepared remarks Tuesday. “The mental health crisis for young adults is real. Coaches are trying to find the balance between pushing too hard and endorsing mediocrity when cultural norms make it difficult to set a high bar.”

“Female coaches are viewed by too many athletes, parents and administrators as harmful, even emotionally abusive. The coaching profession is losing excellent coaches at an alarming rate as scrutiny becomes more intense and biased than our male counterparts,” Stone said.

Harvard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Neither Stone nor his attorney, Andrew T. Miltenberg (Nesenoff & Miltenberg LLP), directly addressed the specific allegations made against Stone. Athletic‘s story, except for a racist phrase he used in the locker room in March 2022, in which he said there were “too many chiefs… not enough Indians.” Miltenberg called it a “common phrase” that “a lot of us use.”

Miltenberg said the incident “became the catalyst and the pretext for Harvard to launch a campaign to discredit Katey Stone and ultimately force her resignation,” a campaign he said “that began with Coach Stone raising the issue of her being undervalued and underpaid.”

The lawsuit states that Stone and other female coaches at Harvard “began to vigorously advocate for pay transparency and equity between male and female coaches at Harvard” around 2017.

Harvard hires law firm to conduct external review of Stone’s program AthleticHer March 2023 report detailed allegations of harassment, initiation rituals and body-shaming, an environment that one person connected to the program described as “mental health hunger games.”

Athletic reported that in some years of “naked skating,” freshmen were told to do “Superman” slides on the ice, leaving some with ice burns and bleeding nipples. The most recent “naked skating” incident occurred in January 2023, the day after The Boston Globe first reported on allegations of inappropriate behavior by Stone toward players. After one player became upset about the incident, Stone and his staff met with the team and told them that it was an unsanctioned activity.

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According to an internal email obtained by athletic director Erin McDermott AthleticThe findings of the external review by law firm Jenner & Block made it clear that “some traditions in recent years have been experienced differently by different people, and not everyone is comfortable with these activities or voicing concerns about the program.”

At the time of her resignation, Stone said she “knows in her heart when it’s time for a coach to change” and looked forward to “supporting the next chapter in Harvard women’s hockey.” The press release announcing her departure did not mention the allegations against Stone or the external review. Following the review, the school announced that Harvard athletics would end team traditions that were “damaging to team culture” and would implement initiatives to address player safety and well-being.

Stone said in her lawsuit that she was not aware of any inappropriate behavior, such as “naked skating,” and that she emphasized to players that any form of harassment was prohibited. She also said that she “created an environment of respect and honor” and that Harvard “allowed, and even openly encouraged, male coaches to exercise discretion in how best to coach and motivate the players on their teams. Coach Stone was harshly punished and criticized for engaging in the same coaching strategies and behaviors.”

Stone said Tuesday that his priority has always been the well-being of his players and that he was instructed by Harvard to remain silent amid allegations and investigations from former players.

“As a result, incredible damage has been done to my career, my team, my personal and professional reputation, and my life. Today, by filing this lawsuit, I will finally make my voice heard,” he said.

He did not answer the questions of the journalists present at the meeting due to the ongoing case.

Three former Harvard players — Kalley Armstrong, Nicole Corriero and Jamie Hagerman Phinney — defended Stone, saying she played a significant role in their personal and professional development and created a culture of high achievement and excellence within the program.

In the lawsuit, Stone also names 50 Jane Doe defendants whom he is suing for defamation. Stone alleges that these parties made false statements to The Boston Globe and Harvard that caused reputational damage. He also accuses the unnamed defendants of conspiracy to falsely state that he “engaged in bullying or supported a culture of bullying.”

Stone described those speaking out against him as “a small group who feel unsupported.”

Miltenberg suggested that his strict coaching standards were at the root of the players’ discontent:

“Some people who have been spoiled all their lives don’t like it.”

(Photo: Barry Chin / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)