WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette
[the lawsuit]
By Jennifer Toland, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
jtoland@telegram.com
Nearly 60 former Holy Cross women’s basketball players, assistant coaches and team managers have attached their signatures to a letter of support for coach Bill Gibbons.
In a lawsuit brought by a former player earlier this week, Gibbons was accused of verbally and physically abusing his players at games and practices. On Wednesday, Gibbons stepped aside from his coaching duties while the college reviews the claims.
“These allegations are far from the Coach Gibbons that we know,” the letter said.
Gibbons’ assistants have assumed all coaching duties while he is on administrative leave with pay.
In the 21-page lawsuit filed in New York, Ashley Cooper, who was a backup guard at Holy Cross the last two years, claims Gibbons struck her on the back of the neck on more than one occasion. Cooper accused Gibbons of shaking her by the shoulders, yanking her by her shirt collar, and squeezing the back of her neck in anger on several occasions. The suit alleges Gibbons struck another player on the back during a Patriot League Tournament game against Lehigh in March 2013.
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