Two More Former Players Accuse Coach Of 'Lesbian Baiting'
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: December 13, 2005  11:00  am ET

(State College, Pennsylvania) Two more former players on Penn State's women's basketball team have come forward to accuse coach Rene Portland of making disparaging comments about lesbians.

Courtney Wicks, who played on the Lady Lions from 1996 - 1997, and Cindy Davies who played for Penn State in 1980, say that they also heard Portland make accusations about lesbians.

Davies who is a lesbian and Wicks who has a lesbian sister made the allegations on ESPN in a program looking into allegations made by former player Jennifer Harris.

Harris, who is not gay, has filed suit with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission naming Portland, the university, and Athletic Director Tim Curley as defendants. (story)

It alleges that they violated the Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act by subjecting women’s basketball star Jennifer Harris to ongoing acts of harassment and discrimination beginning in late 2003 and continuing to the present day.

Harris, a 6 foot guard played on Penn State's Lady Lions basketball team from 2003 to 2005.

Harris alleges that Portland repeatedly questioned her about her sexual orientation, repeatedly threatened to kick Harris off the team if she found out Harris was a lesbian, and eventually told other players not to associate with Harris because she believed that Harris was gay.

In 2005, Coach Portland abruptly told Harris to find somewhere else to play. Harris transferred to James Madison University.

Prior to filing the suit the National Center for Lesbian Rights sent a letter to Penn State University President Graham Spanier, demanding that action be taken against Portland.

Portland fired back, (story) issuing a statement through the university saying that Harris' charges were "completely and utterly untrue." Portland's statement said that Harris was told to leave the team because she had a bad attitude and a poor work ethic.

The Human Relations Commission has not set a date for a hearing.

On ESPN Wicks said that Portland's dislike of lesbians was clear.

"She made it seem like if you have lesbians on your team at some point it will get into your locker room," said Wicks, who transferred from Penn State after a year and a half.

Cindy Davies, who acknowledges a lesbian affair with the team manager said she quit the team and the university after Portland confronted her with suspicions about the relationship and told her she would continue to investigation and if she proved the affair she would make the information public.

Davies said that she became so depressed she considered committing suicide.

"I wanted to end it because I thought I had no future," she said.

"And I think now that I look back I can't allow it to (happen) to anybody else," she said. "If I can help them, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help them. Because nobody should have to feel that way."