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The woman states in the suit that she was humiliated and suffered from depression after she was outed, which led to her losing her scholarship to the school.Â
A woman is suing Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., after she says she was outed by her golf coach while she was a student in 2018.
In the lawsuit, the woman states that she was humiliated and suffered from depression over being forced out. She also says that it resulted in her being sexually harassed, according to local TV station WSOC.
According to the lawsuit, the golf coach began "asking members of the women's golf team and athletic staff about plaintiff's sexuality."
The lawsuit also states that the coach even stalked the athlete's social media accounts, then told the athletic director the woman was queer.
When the student went to Queens University's administration and complained about the coach, the school said the coach wasn't in violation of school policy, according to WSOC. "It's inherently harassment," the lawsuit states.
The student, according to the suit, became depressed and suffered from insomnia. She ended up losing her scholarship as her grades dropped.
More than a year later the coach was placed on administrative leave.
In a statement to the outlet, a Queens University spokesperson said, "the University takes all sexual harassment-related allegations very seriously and has robust policies, procedures, reporting mechanisms, and training in place to address such issues."
The university added that the coach, athletic director, and Title IX coordinator all still work at the school.
Local LGBTQ+ rights activist, Clark Simon, who is the board president of Charlotte Pride but is not connected to the suit, told WSOC, "I find it disgusting. No one's story should be told by anyone but that person and if they weren't out they clearly weren't comfortable coming out."
He added, "This is not uncommon if it's not you, you know someone that has been outed. And some people can't take it in stride other people it takes a large mental toll on them. LGBTQ youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers."
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available to help. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 is for people of all ages and identities.
