A former Harvard University women’s ice hockey coach has scored an early legal victory in her fight against the Ivy League institution, as a federal magistrate judge recommended rejecting Harvard’s bid to dismiss her gender bias and retaliation lawsuit.
Kathleen Stone, who led Harvard’s women’s hockey team for nearly two decades, claims she was systematically underpaid, held to unfair standards, and ultimately forced into retirement after raising concerns about gender discrimination. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal ruled Wednesday that Stone’s claims were timely filed, paving the way for her case to proceed.
Allegations of Pay Disparity and Retaliation
Harvard had argued that Stone’s claims of retaliation before March 2023 were time-barred and that many of her pay discrimination allegations were too old to be considered. But Judge Boal rejected that argument, saying Stone alleged “a series of discriminatory acts emanating from the same discriminatory animus,” making them part of a continuing pattern rather than isolated incidents.
Stone’s lawsuit paints a troubling picture of gender bias in Harvard’s athletic department. According to her complaint, the university admitted it would never achieve pay equity for female coaches, failed to defend her against hazing allegations, and placed her on a performance improvement plan without offering meaningful support—actions she says were designed to push her out.
