Students seek $1M in college lawsuit

OLYMPIA — Two students have filed a discrimination lawsuit against The Evergreen State College and its former women’s basketball coach Jennifer Schooler.

A complaint for damages was filed by ShaMarica Scott and Linda Wilson, both of Olympia, on Oct. 13 in U.S District Court’s Western Washington district in Tacoma, The Olympian reported.

In June, the women’s attorney, Ada Wong with AKW Law of Mountlake Terrace, filed a prerequisite tort claim that stated the women are claiming damages of $500,000 each.

Scott and Wilson are seeking damages for “intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and racial and sexual orientation discrimination,” according to the most recent court documents.

Schooler, who took over the women’s basketball program at Evergreen in 2014, cited personal reasons when she resigned in December.

When asked by the newspaper about the lawsuit, college spokesman Zach Powers said that “the college conducted an investigation and took appropriate action.”

Scott was on the women’s basketball team during the 2014-15 school year and “endured racially based discrimination, epithets, intimidation and public humiliation” from Schooler, according to the claim.

The second plaintiff, Wilson, played on the women’s basketball team during the 2015-16 school year.

The college’s internal investigation into Wilson’s claim found that Schooler’s actions more likely than not violated the college’s non-discrimination and sexual harassment policies.