College basketball icon Jim Calhoun denied accusations of sexual discrimination, saying he never called a former staffer at the University of Saint Joseph “hot” or treated any other woman unfairly.
Calhoun, who now coaches at the University of Saint Joseph after winning three national titles at UConn, issued a statement Saturday slamming allegations that he ordered former associate athletic director Jaclyn Piscitelli to clean up spilled coffee, saying that’s something his wife would do, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week.
“As for the accusations that have been reported, I will only say this: I’m not sure when asking a colleague if they would mind opening the door because my hands were full became discrimination or when self-deprecation for being an aging, clumsy husband became an insult,” Calhoun told the Hartford Courant in a statement.
Calhoun, who was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, claimed that he only uses the word “hot” when referring to the weather and his morning coffee.
“And the only woman I openly compliment is my wife of 53 years and frankly, I call her ‘beautiful’ or ‘pretty’ … because she is,” Calhoun’s statement continued.
Calhoun said he was “stunned and saddened” to read reports of Piscitelli’s lawsuit, which alleges she was fired by the Division III school in Connecticut after complaining about the conduct of men in its athletic department, including the Hall of Fame coach hired in 2018 after a storied career with the Huskies.
While acknowledging that he can be stubborn, demanding and “overly passionate” at times, particularly on the basketball court, Calhoun strongly denied treating any woman differently than men while denouncing Piscitelli’s claims.
“However, I firmly and unequivocally, at no time, knowingly treated any woman unfairly because of her gender,” Calhoun’s said. “In addition, let me be clear, I have never treated any woman inappropriately.”
A University of Saint Joseph spokeswoman has declined to comment on the pending litigation but said the school is reviewing the claims.
Piscitelli, who was fired in June, claims Calhoun and his top assistant, Glen Miller, made disparaging remarks to her while in her role as associate athletic director. At one point, Piscitelli claims Calhoun asked her to open his office door despite holding his keys at the time, the lawsuit alleges.
Calhoun, according to the complaint that cites a male-dominated “boys club,” also made Piscitelli clean up spilled single-serve coffee cups, stating that his wife would handle such a mess if he made one at home.
Miller has not responded to Piscitelli’s claims, the Courant reported. Calhoun, meanwhile, declined to be interviewed by the newspaper, but also took a shot at the media, accusing outlets of throwing aside his reputation while reporting on Piscitelli’s lawsuit.
“And I’m especially angry that my career and my name are being used for legal grandstanding instead of in support for the victims of discrimination,” Calhoun’s statement continued.
With Post wires
