Geno Auriemma, UConn’s Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach and coach of the 2012 Olympic team, is being sued by a female security official from the National Basketball Association, according to a lawsuit filed in New York on Monday.
The security officer, Kelley Hardwick, 46, claimed in the suit that Auriemma “followed, grabbed and tried to forcibly kiss her” at a hotel during a basketball tournament in Yakaterinburg, Russia in 2009 when Auriemma was scouting for USA Basketball. The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, claims that Hardwick pushed him away.
According to the New York Times, which originally reported the story Monday, Hardwick and a female friend, Kelly Shannon, currently a police officer in Texas, finished dinner at a hotel and saw Auriemma in the bar having drinks with USA Basketball official, Carol Callan, and at least one of his assistants and other team officials. Hardwick decided to sit in the lobby with her guest.
Auriemma allegedly walked over and according to Hardwick’s friend, “Invited himself and started talking about coming from an immigrant Italian background and saying he could relate to inner-city blacks. We were like ‘whatever.’”
The two women soon headed upstairs to their rooms and Auriemma got on the elevator with the women. Shannon exited first; Hardwick soon after on another floor. As she walked to her room, she felt someone was following. That person allegedly was Auriemma.
“He puts his hand on my left arm and goes to kiss me,” Hardwick told the Times. “I grabbed his face and mushed him.” Hardwick then yelled “You better check yourself before you get hurt!” at Auriemma. At that point, Auriemma left for his room
Auriemma talked to the Courant Monday afternoon, but refused comment on the suit, saying he’d been asked by USA Basketball not to comment. He did issue a statement released through the university’s athletic department.
“I was unaware of this lawsuit until hearing about it through a media report today [Monday] and will therefore have no comment,” Auriemma said in the statement.
According to the suit, Auriemma allegedly retaliated for the rebuff by successfully demanding the NBA remove her as the top security official for the United States women’s team at the London Olympics. Hardwick served as a security official for the women’s team at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008.
A source indicated Monday that Hardwick is still employed by the NBA and has been re-assigned to Commissioner David Stern security detail for the London Games. NBA spokesman Tim Frank refused to confirm or deny that claim, saying the league does not comment on pending litigation. Hardwick’s attorney, Randolph McLaughlin, told the Courant that if she was added to Stern’s detail it had not been communicated to her.
Hardwick, a lawyer and a former New York City undercover narcotics detective, accuses Auriemma, the NBA and USA Basketball, which oversees the women’s Olympics team, of employment discrimination. She has provided a list of witnesses she claims are familiar with the encounter to the NBA in an effort to get back the assignment.
“I was willing to close this story in 2009,” Ms. Hardwick told the New York Times last week. “If Geno had not interfered with my job and my livelihood, I would not have filed this lawsuit.”
Hardwick claims the NBA did not investigate her claims after being informed of them and instead agreed, allegedly, with Aureimma’s insistence that she be removed from the women’s basketball detail.
In addition to suing Auriemma, she claims she’s a victim of the “corporate culture of gender discrimation” which has prevented her from being promoted during the course of her career. Hartwick’s career with NBA security began in November 2002 as a senior security manager but had difficulty attaining a better job or being compensated for additional work from the league.
“It’s our opinion that Mr. Auriemma took action in order to control and demean Ms. Hardwick,” McLaughlin told Fox Connecticut’s Laurie Perez.
He added that when Hardwick was informed she would not be retained by USA women’s basketball for the London Games, he suspected the reason was Auriemma’s influence with officials who made the decision.
Auriemma, who has won seven national championships in his 27-year career at Huskies coach, was named Olympic coach in the spring of 2009. He led the USA to the World Championship in the Czech Republic, an event Hardwick attended in the same capacity she has worked in 2004 and 2008.
“I don’t know Mr. Auriemma at all, but according to information we’ve obtained, he took steps to make her job more difficult [after the alleged incident]. … It’s an odd thing for a coach to demand that the security for the Olympic team be frankly compromised.”
Callan was not available for comment.
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USA WBB not winning gold is a Possibilty now. You never know, Geno might be asked to step down.
Ur an idiot, Why bother commenting if you hate Geno? Get a life. Can’t believe the courant lets these low-lifes on here. Ugh. Geno will not step down. What does that have to do with what is being said? moron
Agree Janet
Fock Off Cont
Learn to spell idiot and take your own advice Moron. Thanks for agreeing with me, Husky love.
Just waiting for a CPTV employee to jump on the bandwagon and file a lawsuit accusing Geno of inappropriate action.
ur an idiot. CPTV has nothing to do with Uconn women’s baskeball nor Geno anymore so why would they step in? If ur not a fan, why are you even here? Idiot.
I’d rather kiss Godzilla!
Geno might have certain tendancies. That explains why he tried to kiss her.
Both of you are idiots. Both TN trolls probably. Why are you even here if you are not fans? Get the heck off and don’t read if you hate Uconn so much.
Why are you keep calling people idiot when you yourself are a real idiot. You don’t understand people’s words. No one said they hate Uconn. Have a brain transplant.
You miss read what I said and you are the one who’s the idiot since you are the one going around calling me one. No. but they are bashing Geno and trolling and no. You are the one who doesn’t understand people’s words and you are the one who needs a brain transplant for calling me an idiot when you don’t even know me.
Ms. Hardwick, why would you want to put yourself in close proximity of someone who assaulted you? Aren’t you worried that it may occur again? Are you sure it was Mr. Auriemma who “touched” you? Are you sure that you’ve experienced discrimination in your scope of work? And could it be that your performance is not up to par, so you’re crying wolf before a possible termination? Let’s hope that ths publicity will not create any further embarrassment for you and your family!
Geno is such as saint. Friggin idiot.
Church Of Geno Is Burning: you’re no saint either and ur an idiot so STFU and get off this site and stiop posting hate and lies. If you are not a fan, why are you even here?
Janet284757, you are such an idiot who like to insult people. What does it have to do with a fan (and a fan of what) to be here? Are you Geno’s servant?
No. I am not. I am not an idiot. Do you know me? No so STFU and no. I am not his servant and no you are wrong and misread what I said u idiot and no .I I am a fan of his. Are you? If not then get off the damn blog and stay off.
Be very careful what you say. One person is already threatening lawsuits using your IP address and your comments.
“In addition to suing Auriemma, she claims she’s a victim of the “corporate culture of gender discrimination,” which has prevented her from being promoted during her career. Hardwick’s career with NBA security began in November 2002 as a senior security manager, but she had difficulty attaining a better job or being compensated for additional league work”
So she’s been unhappy with her lack of promotion since 2002. When the N. B. A. finally says they were letting her go, suddenly it must be discrimination, and someone has to pay.
Perhaps there were reasons that she wasn’t promoted as she thought she should have been. Perhaps there are similar reasons that caused Geno to not want her on the USA security detail – her performance.
Naaah, nobody gets judged on their job performance, it MUST have been something underhanded.
My opinion is that she’s angry, she wants the world to know it, and she wants someone to pay. And what better way to drag national press into the mix than to make a seedy charge against a national name like Auriemma’?
Also note too the nature of her complaints. She charges the N.B.A.’s “corporate culture of gender discrimination” . That charge simply wouldn’t fly against Geno as all he would have to do is point to his long line of , ahem, female assistants from UCONN and USA basketball that speak glowingly about him. No,she had to come up with something different, better than that for Geno. So, she says that Geno (even if we take her at her word here) tried to kiss her once (without any witnesses in a hotel hallway) and she pushed him away, and Geno made no further advances. No crime there.
Now, if her account of “the attempted kiss” is true, why would Geno ask she be removed from the security detail and risk provoking her now?
That makes no sense.
Perhaps Geno did request her removal from the USA detail. So what? Is it likely that request was prompted by the same “inappropriate and unprofessional” actions by Hardwick that kept her from being promoted for SEVEN YEARS before the alleged incident happened?
This whole thing smacks of someone making things up as an “I’ll show them, they’re gonna pay” because she didn’t get the promotions SHE thought she deserved.
Steve – You stand a great chance of being banned for life from these posts. You have clearly laid out the case against Hardwick, supported with details where available, and make a sensible conclusion. Many people will find good common sense reasoning offensive and therefore request you be exiled from further participation. I could try but not sure I could say it any better, well done!!!
I agree with you. I think it’s all lies for attention and for money. Sadly it’s what people like her care most about is money.
I don’t agree with you (Janet284757) because you are a fool.
Why are you calling me a fool? You are the one who’s the fool.
Be very careful what you say. One person is already threatening lawsuits using your IP address and your comments. Janet could sue you for calling her a fool.
lol. But how do you even know if I’m a guy or a girl?
From the photo of her it is obvious she is not Irish, Italian but perhaps would be in Jesse Jackson, Al sharpton,
Or Obama group.
The aforementioned men are shake down artist, They go where the money is and loot it right out from under our eyes. She read the books on how they steal from the workers.
Obama has been doing it for years and now he is President.
Geno you have the entire Uconn nation on your side.
Gosh she is one ugly lady.
Be very careful what you say. One person is already threatening lawsuits using your IP address and your comments. Unless I am mistaken, you just called 3 African-American males shake down artists.
All you have to do is look up what obama did to make his money when he got a free pass at law school.
He looter banks on behalf of dead beat minorities. Jackson made million shanking down companies and banks it is all true.
they are crooks and of color.
Steve–excellent!! Hardwick is painting the world with her anti Hardwick brush. Lazy, incompetent , people tend to make excuses and blame everyone else for their failures. If Geno was such a masher (old term)why would any woman want to work or be around him ever again??? What was she doing on a recruiting trip anyway??
I believe that if you are the coach of a National team you have the right to have people with you (security and other functions) that you feel comfortable with.
I have bashed GEno in the past and second guessed him on many occasions and questioned his timing of comments. But I too have found him a very caring man, very loyal to those loyal to him, he would fight to the death any one who attacked his family, his team, his coaches, his friends—not that’s a man I want to have as a friend. I don’ think I would want him for an enemy!!!
Geno never did this. Geno is not a racist. He’s had 200 women go thru his program–many better looking and built better than Hardwick–not one every made any complaints about his being a pervert!!!
The problem with being accused is the media and the population never remember that you were exonerated–but you were accused. Hence you are guilty.
No matter what happens from here on in–Uconn Women recruiting will see a negative impact. Mothers will not allow their girls to play for a “sexual abuser”, no it’s not true but who cares, not the media, not Hardwick. If it will ruin UConn Women or Geno all that much better. If Geno fights this–he’s going to drop 100,000 or 200,000 dollars just for lawyers, it’s money down a rat hole, but he must defend himself. We, the UConn Fans, his ex players and his assistants will support Geno–but this will take a toll. It may hasten his retirement, who needs this kind of personal attack??
This is a lot of bull – didn’t think for one second that he could be guilty. Geno is not a racist nor would he try to grab someone and kiss them – not him!!!! Who knows how many glasses of wine or cocktails this woman had and was hoping Geno was attracted to her – no witnesses either – Sorry this just did NOT happen
I agree. Until there is proof he’s done all this I mean come on? What happened was three years ago and she brings it up in 2012? She should have thought about that in 2009. Not now, so I smell a liar in the accuser. So Geno is innocent til there is proof of what he was accused of.
C’mon folks! All the lookers a la Sherri Coale, that Geno has had been around for years and he’s gonna put the move on this piece of work? Really?? Me thinks not!!
I think it’s all lies and best of luck to GA in defending himself and JA, Why do you let negative comments on your blogs? What if kids read the comments as I see kids do read them? If the negativity keeps up, I will not recommend your blogs to anyone and will no longer be reading your blogs anymore either and will read and comment when I can on the others. I have been reading your blogs for a few years now and I am a Uconn WBB fan and you post great stuff on Uconn and Geno and all, but why are you letting negative comments on these blogs as people younger than me read them? Espcially young children? To those who are not fans, why are you even here?
To the haters: If you are not fans of Uconn WBB and hate Geno so much, why are you here? It makes you look trollish and foolish so why even bother coming to a Uconn blog like this one and trash Geno, the team, Uconn and other people who do enjoy Uconn WBB, etc? So please you negativity to another site or keep your mouths shut if you have nothing nice to say about Geno or Uconn. You don’t have to even watch Geno or Uconn or even comment on Geno or Uconn. You can always skip it if you dislike Uconn or Geno or both.
Janet, you should not be allowed to post because you continue to call people an idiot. And you used a nasty 4 letter acronym.
You shouldn’t be allowed to post because you are trolling. You don’t own the blog, so I can post what I want. At least I’m not trolling like you and the others are. And what four letter nasty word did I use? go back and read what I said because you didn’t obviously read what I said.
and I can post what I want
I can as well, but there is no reason for you to be a troll though.
So can I, but there is no reason for you to be a troll though. If you want to bash Geno, etc take it somewhere else. Not here.
You have used the 4 letter acronym STFU more than once on a couple posts related to this lawsuit.
So what if I used that word? Everyone else swears so I have a right to as well as long as I am not trolling like you are right now. So stop being a troll. if you don’t like Uconn/Geno why are you here?
and why are you defending the woman? I say Geno is innocent until he’s proven guilty. And everyone hating on me, well the trolls, if you don’t like what I say, ignore my posts and don’t read. I am not here to argue or cause arguments or harm as I have a right to express my opinions and if you don’t like what I say, don’t read and ignore me. I am just saying. If you are not a Geno supporter or fan, then you have no business being here. bashing the coach and all is being a troll. If you want to trash talk, take it to emails and stuff. Not to someone else’s blogs.
Thanks for defending me and pretending to be me Jane23. but I am done arguing with this troll and any trolls on this blog as it’s just pointless so let the trolls be a troll. I’m through with this moron and the any other idiotci comments and hope their comments get deleted. Have fun trolls cuz Im through with arguing and will continue to post, but will ignore all the stupid and ignorant comments but arguing with a troll isn’t going to get me anywhere anyways, so this is the last I post to these morons.
Geno did kiss one of his players on national TV. If you think the lawyer will not use this against Geno, think again.
Another troll. So what if he kissed someone on tv. Big deal. What does that have to do with the accusations against him?
Geno did kiss one of his players on national TV.
So what? Doesn’t mean a thing though and it has nothing to do with the lawsuit.
Geno did kiss one of his players on national TV
Yeah, but once again, what does it have to do with the lawsuit?
I do not know the accuser. I do not know the accused. I do not know the accused’s assistant coach.
But based on their 27+ years at UConn, I sense that Geno and CD would not read JA’s blog and then come up with a cival lawsuit against an anonymous poster because of their comments.
Although we apparently live in an allegedly lawsuit happy country, I believe Geno and CD could care less what comments are made on JA’s blog. I do not think they are looking to take someone down even if they had a legal right to do so.
That in itself is just one reason why I chose to believe Geno is innocent of the alleged complaints.
The reaction by some UConn fans is exactly why some rape victims never come forward. Too often the rape victim is not believed and is treated like a criminal on the witness stand when the defense attorney brings up her past.
Such is the case here. The alleged victim is not believed by some UConn fans because of things in her past like not getting promoted.
We would not need lawyers, judges, and courts if a person’s past was automatically and instantly used to determine if a person is innocent or guilty.
janet284657,
I’d like to say “nice try” but it wouldn’t be accurate.Yeah, we noticed the feeble attempt with the similar name to janet284757.
Playing the rape card? Really?
Bringing up “the past”? Really?
By definition a person can only sue for damages relating to something that has already happened. ( that means in the past) If we cannot mention “the past” when someone is suing for something that allegedly happened in “the past”, what are we left with?
The alleged “victim” in this case is suing for multiple complaints ( including gender discrimination by her employer) that began when hired in 2002 (the past), and also that Geno “touched” her arm and “attempted” to kiss her (in 2009, the past)and made no further attempts when she rebuffed him. (no witness, go figure)
Now, in 2012, we are to accept her contention that Auriemma requested she be removed from the 2012 Olympic security detail SOLELY because he was “embarrassed” and wanted to “punish” her? This, despite the fact that she has been involved in providing security for Auriemma and his players many times since the alleged “kiss attempt” without incident. Let’s also ignore the fact that several officials and players in direct contact with both during these interactions have publicly stated they never saw any animosity between the two.
To accept Hardwick’s account we must suspend rational thought. Even if we accept outright her contention that Geno tried to kiss her once in 2009, why would the coach wait over 3 years to “punish” her because he was “embarrassed” about his alleged behavior? Why provoke her now?
Why is she suing her employer claiming 10 years of gender discrimination? If this Lawyer and former detective in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, felt she was being discriminated against, why would she 1) remain silent, and 2) stay with the company despite lack of promotion all this time?
This simply doesn’t pass the smell test.
It’s out of character for Auriemma according to a long, long list of female players and coworkers, some of whom have spent 20+ years interacting with him, including close quarters on long overseas trips.
So far, all we have is allegations completely absent of any verifiable fact.
Nothing more.
Nice try pretending to be me which you are a poser so get a life. Posing as someone you are not isn’t cool. Don’t you have anything better to do with your time? Probably not. Probably just a lonely kid who has no life. Pretty sad.
Opps that was meant for the poser not you. Sorry. But I do agree with you though.