Six former players at the University of Pittsburgh filed individual lawsuits against women's basketball coach Tony Verdi this week. The lawsuits, filed by Favor Ayodele, Raeven Boswell, Makayla Elmore, Brooklynn Miles, Isabella Perkins and Jasmine Timmerson, are each brought by individual players, but there's a concerning overlap in terms of the allegations.
Per USA Today, Verdi is accused of "emotional, psychological, and physical abuse" against each player and of creating a "hostile, discriminatory, and retaliatory environment." The six young women are all represented by Keenan Holmes.
The lawsuits also include allegations that Verdi "weaponized his authority to manipulate, demean, and emotionally destabilize players through targeted mistreatment, verbal abuse, gaslighting, and retaliatory conduct." Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a college coach has been accused of mentally and emotionally abusing his or her team.
Inside the allegations against Pitt coach Tony Verdi
“Verdi used his position of authority to engage in emotionally abusive conduct, retaliation, and psychological manipulation that transcended poor coaching and entered into constitutional violations,” one lawsuits reads. “The program was defined by fear and emotional volatility as players were routinely demeaned, psychologically isolated, and pressured to perform under abusive conditions.”
The University offered a short statement to USA Today that made it clear the school plans to defend itself and Verdi against the allegations raised by the former players. The statement reads, "The University is aware of these lawsuits and their allegations, which are without merit and will be vigorously defended."
According to USA Today, concerns for the players were actually first raised by members of the team's administration and coaching staff, including senior woman administrator Jennifer Tuscano, former athletic director Heather Lyke, and Laurel Gift, the school's assistant vice chancellor for compliance, investigations, and ethics. Gift has since moved on to a new role at Syracuse.
One of the earliest instances of alleged abuse cited in the court documents transpired during the 2023-24 season, USA Today also reported. According to a lawsuit, Verdi told the team, "Every night I lay in bed I want to kill myself because of you." This, in turn, "caused fear, emotional distress, and confusion among players."
All but two of the lawsuits also reference a game against Clemson before which Verdi allegedly made "directed xenophobic and culturally insensitive remarks" and told a foreign-born player to "go back home because ICE is coming." He also allegedly told a player, "We speak English here."
He also allegedly mocked the physical appearance of at least one player and ignored another for six months while she was injured.
Read more about the lawsuits at USA Today.