Run Up the Score would probably have better insight on this than I would, but I remember hearing about Rene Portland, Penn State's women's b-ball coach, and her problems with alternative lifestyles about a year or so ago, and it's too good to pass up.
Today, former Lady Lion Jennifer Harris and the school settled a discrimination lawsuit against Portland after the coach claimed she had a "no lesbian" policy on the team; of course, the terms of the settlement are undisclosed. The settlement absolves the school and Portland of guilt, and she was fined $10K last year after an internal investigation and threatened with immediate dismissal if another instance came up again.
Having lived through the Gary Barnett era, I don't have a lot of tolerance for this crap from coaches (even if it's been known for a while). I wonder how much more Penn State can let go if she happens to go off the cuff again on something like this -- but given that her team is currently sitting at .500 overall and is worse than that in Big 10 play, her record may get her in more trouble than her mouth.
Monday, February 05, 2007
the wrong type of zero tolerance policy.
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3 comments:
Sorry, I missed this earlier in the week.
Jen Harris isn't exactly a Girl Scout, but Portland's record speaks for itself. She's been purging the basketball program for over a decade, shunning even suspected lesbians. The PSU women's hoops program used to be really, really good. They'd be ranked in the top ten, but unfailingly shit the bed before getting to the Final Four.
So why would a liberal, hell-bent on diversity university like Penn State tolerate Rene Portland's antics? Joe Paterno hired her, that's why. She doesn't go unless he says so, or until she leaves of her own volition.
It's a non-stop black eye for the school, and oddly ironic in the wake of the John Amaechi story.
When was JoePa AD? Sounds like the current guy (Curley) is a figurehead.
Back around the early 80's, although I don't know the exact years. Portland was hired in 1980.
And yes, the current AD is nothing more than a figurehead when big issues are on the table.
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