Former Ohio State Cheerleading Coach Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against University: Claims Racial and Gender Bias

Siobhan St. John, a former assistant cheerleading coach at Ohio State, has accused the university of racial, gender, and religious discrimination in her recent lawsuit filed on March 14, 2024. St. John worked at Ohio State for ten years, and her complaint highlights troubling events that allegedly led to her “wrongful discharge” on June 20, 2024.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, names not only the university but also Carey Hoyt, senior associate athletic director, and Benjamin Schreiber, the head cheerleading coach, as defendants. In a statement, Ohio State declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

St. John claims to have faced persistent discrimination during her decade at Ohio State and argues that her efforts to support African-American employees were met with hostility. She served on the Buckeye Inclusion Committee, which aims to enhance opportunities for African-American staff in the athletic department.

The lawsuit raises serious allegations. St. John describes incidents where she feels her race and gender contributed to the mistreatment she experienced. For example, she claims that Hoyt and Schreiber intentionally kept her from applying for a new position by failing to make the job posting public. Instead, they appointed another individual for the role—a decision she argues was unjust and discriminatory.

One particularly disturbing claim involves an incident at a cheerleading practice. According to St. John, Schreiber sorted cheerleaders based on their race, placing blonde cheerleaders in front and pushing those with darker hair to the back. When St. John pointed out the implications of this decision, she alleges Schreiber dismissed her concerns with a condescending remark.

Interactions between St. John and her superiors reportedly became more adverse following this practice. St. John recounts an encounter where Schreiber threw her keys on the floor after borrowing them, forcing her to pick them up.

The timeline presented in her lawsuit is pressing. While St. John was on vacation in January 2024, Schreiber allegedly conducted a cheer team survey but made it difficult for her to receive updates about the team’s plans. The pattern continued, with an instance where Schreiber altered the cheer practice schedule without informing her, highlighting a troubling lack of communication.

St. John sought help from the university’s human resources, only to feel unsupported. She claims that after raising her concerns, she was placed on a performance improvement plan that seemed designed to create a false record against her.

Adding another layer, the lawsuit also touches on religious discrimination. St. John alleges Schreiber criticized her for missing practice to attend church services, though practices were generally not scheduled on Sundays.

After filing complaints with the university’s Human Relations Department, St. John took a leave of absence to recover emotionally. Upon her return, she discovered that staff headshots and introductions had excluded her.

Just days later, she was informed that her position was being eliminated due to “lack of funds and reorganization,” a claim she believes is deceptive.

St. John seeks compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorney fees, as she continues to fight against what she describes as a deeply flawed and discriminatory system.

This case underlines ongoing discussions about diversity and inclusion in sports organizations. With recent studies showing that representation in coaching roles can significantly impact team dynamics and culture, St. John’s story emphasizes the challenges that minority coaches can face. According to a 2021 report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, only 27% of head coaches in college sports are people of color, reinforcing the need for systemic changes within athletic programs.

The outcome of this lawsuit could set important precedents in the fight for equity in sports and education. You can stay updated on similar cases or follow the conversation about diversity in athletics via trusted sources like the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

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