Woman alleges ‘U’ reassigned her because she’s gay

Published 8:07 am Wednesday, January 12, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS  — A former associate women’s golf coach alleges the University of Minnesota stripped her of her coaching duties because she’s a lesbian.

Kathryn “Katie” Brenny served a lawsuit on the university Tuesday. Her attorney says the complaint will be filed in court Wednesday.

The complaint alleges the Board of Regents and golf director John Harris violated Brenny’s rights as a member of a protected class under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

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The Star Tribune reports the complaint alleges the university made Brenny a victim of “reprisal” by changing her job description and transferring her to a job outside the golf program.

University general counsel Mark Rotenberg has said the university disputes Brenny’s claims and that it’s not true that the school discriminated against her on the basis of sexual orientation.