Girls' Soccer Coach Sues School District For Sexual Harassment

LONG BEACH, CA – A judge ruled Wednesday that a former girls' soccer coach at Long Beach Poly High School who alleges the Long Beach Unified School District fired her from her coaching job for complaining about gender discrimination and sexual harassment can take her case to trial.

LBUSD attorney Joshua Kuns made a motion to dismiss plaintiff Teri Collins' case, which was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Frederick Shaller. Kuns maintained there were no triable issues and that Collins was removed from her position for cyber-bullying a student athlete on Instagram. Kuns alleges Collins threatened referees in the presence of other students and called one pupil a "little B-word."

The jury will decide Collins' causes of action for gender discrimination, retaliation, and failure to prevent discrimination and retaliation. Both sides agreed to the dismissal of Collins' fourth claim for demotion based on discrimination and retaliation.

"The main causes of action remain part of the lawsuit and Ms. Collins looks forward to trial of her case," plaintiff's attorney Marina Kats Fraigun said after the hearing.

Shaller said that although he was allowing the case to move forward, Kuns presented arguments strong enough to perhaps "erode maybe all of the plaintiff's claims" at trial, which is set for May 9. However, he said his opinion of the strength of Collins' case was not enough to convince him to dismiss it.

In her lawsuit filed against the LBUSD in November 2016, Collins maintains that "Poly's soccer program enjoyed unprecedented success" during her tenure. Collins had been a coach and teacher at Long Beach Poly since August 1999, teaching physical education and becoming he winningest girls' soccer coach in school history, according to her complaint, which says Collins won six Moore League championships and in 2012 was selected as the Press-Telegram's "Dream Team Coach of the Year."

Every senior who played in her soccer program enrolled in college after graduating, the suit says.

Despite her success, Collins alleges she "had to fight the district's administration and athletic department that consistently prioritized male leadership and boys' sports" over programs for girls.

Collins was outspoken about what she believed was disparate treatment, according to her court papers. The suit alleges that she also complained that the chairman of the physical education department sexually harassed her, physically threatened her and used demeaning and humiliating language toward her in front of students.

The LBUSD notified Collins in April 2016 that she was being permanently relieved of her coaching position, according to the suit.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Photo by Alex on Unsplash