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UC Riverside Women’s Basketball Coach Files Discrimination Suit

By World Exposure News Services, 04/20/20, 2:45PM CDT

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Track Docket: No. 20-cv-00832 

The suit names the Regents of the University of California, former head coach of women’s basketball John Margaritis, and Tamica Smith Jones, the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at UC Riverside.

Plaintiff Giuliana Mendiola alleges Margaritis mistreated her for years because she was a woman, became pregnant, and stood up to him when he was mistreating players.

Giuliana spent six years as an assistant coach for the UC Riverside's women's basketball program and served as a butter between the Head Coach John Margarities and his players. 

When Mendiola's contract was not renewed for the 2019-20 season, former UCR players started speaking up about what they alleged to be Margaritis' mistreatment of his players through the year.

The created a petition to support Coach Giuliana Mendiola and the mental health of the UCR women's basketball team on Change.org 

On September 14th, 2019 Margaritis stepped down as the head coach after he was put on indefinite leave without pay the day before.

Serayam Bell, the only holdover assistant from last season's staff and an assistant since 2010 was named the interim head coach. The athletic director did state that she would be happy if Mendiola did apply for the job if she was interested. 

Prior, to the resignation, earlier in the summer, Margaritis was given a 20-day suspension for a "violation of university policy." 

Dozen of players confirmed the coach's pattern of behavior. They said Margaritis frequently threatened to take scholarships away, body-shamed and insulted them during practices and marathon film sessions, and used personal information against them to get into their heads. They described late-night calls from the coach to harangue them about their ability, or their weight, or their lifestyles.

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