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The University of Southern California (USC) fired a high-ranking Black woman from its athletics department after she raised concerns about racist and sexist remarks made by her boss, according to a lawsuit filed in state court. The case, which invokes California's new intersectionality bias law, was filed Thursday by Joyce Bell Limbrick, who alleges that her termination violated the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Bell Limbrick, a former executive senior associate athletic director at USC, claims that her dismissal occurred shortly after she voiced complaints about USC's athletics director, Mike Bohn. She alleges Bohn made inappropriate comments about her and reduced her job responsibilities in retaliation for her complaints.

According to Bell Limbrick’s attorney, this may be the first case filed under California's new law, which took effect on January 1, allowing workers to combine claims of discrimination based on multiple protected characteristics.

"The timing of the defendants' decision to terminate plaintiff and the false statements surrounding her dismissal both occurred shortly after she raised concerns about harassment and discrimination," Bell Limbrick said in the lawsuit.

Bell Limbrick joined USC in 2010 and climbed the ranks to become the university's senior woman administrator, a role in which she oversaw both men’s and women’s sports. However, she claims problems started when Bohn was hired as athletics director in 2019, despite being under investigation by his previous university for allegedly making sexist and racist comments.

Bell Limbrick alleges that Bohn soon began making derogatory remarks about her, including telling a colleague that she was appointed as senior woman administrator solely to diversify the department. After she complained about this remark, Bell Limbrick claims Bohn retaliated by reducing her responsibilities and micromanaging her work.

She says Bohn blocked her from conducting interviews for coaching positions, a privilege that non-Black employees were allowed to keep. Additionally, she was excluded from important working groups and given an isolated office. Bell Limbrick further alleges that USC did not address her complaints, allowing Bohn to continue making inappropriate comments, including suggesting that female athletes should prevent male athletes from making personal mistakes and comparing a Black student athlete to a gorilla.

Bell Limbrick also filed a complaint about Bohn touching her inappropriately at a volleyball game when he allegedly punched her arm.

In March 2023, USC launched an investigation into her complaints about Bohn, who resigned in May 2023. However, Bell Limbrick claims she was wrongfully fired months later, despite never having received any prior warnings about her job performance.

Her attorney, J. Bernard Alexander, argues that Bell Limbrick was fired for protesting the discrimination she faced, adding that she was particularly vulnerable as the only Black woman on the athletics team. He criticized USC for retaliating against her instead of providing support.

USC has not yet responded to a request for comment, and Bohn could not be reached.

Bell Limbrick is represented by J. Bernard Alexander III of Alexander Morrison + Fehr LLP and Gina Browne of Feldman Browne. Counsel for USC has not been listed.

The case is Joyce Bell Limbrick v. University of Southern California, case number 25STCV00551, in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.