Former Binghamton University women’s basketball assistant coach Elizabeth “Bet” Naumovski has filed an $8 million lawsuit against the University, alleging she was a victim of sexual discrimination during her employment at BU.

Naumovski alleged in the suit, which was filed in federal court Thursday, Sept. 15, that she suffered both physical and emotional harm as a result of a hostile work environment sustained by colleagues’ rumors regarding an affair she was thought to have had with an adult female student.

Interim athletic director Jim Norris and women’s basketball head coach Nicole Scholl were also named as defendants in the lawsuit, alongside Binghamton University and SUNY as a whole.

Calls to Naumovski, Norris and Scholl were not returned Thursday.

University spokeswoman Gail Glover wrote in an email that because the University has not yet been served the suit, “to comment on it at this point would be premature.”

Naumovski claimed in court papers that the rumors about her at work began in January 2009, about five months after she began working for the University, and that they had escalated by October of that year.

The lawsuit contends that the rumors were “perpetuated by employees of Binghamton University” who were “[unwilling] to address” the allegations in spite of Naumovski’s complaints. She alleged that University employees treated her differently in front of students and told those students that Naumovski would be “watched.”

Naumovski’s suit claims that she met with Norris in attempt to address the situation. According to the lawsuit, Norris responded by saying, “Your problem is that you’re mid-30s and you’re single.”

According to the suit, Norris admitted that he knew the rumors were false and told Naumovski not to worry, but he took no significant or corrective action.

The lawsuit further alleges that Scholl also ignored Naumovski’s complaints. According to the court papers, Naumovski met with Scholl in February 2010, approximately one month prior to the termination of her employment, regarding the “discriminatory treatment” she had suffered.

The papers allege that Scholl responded to Naumovski by telling her that she was “welcome to find a job elsewhere.”

Naumovski’s employment was terminated on March 9, 2010. According to the charge, the firing came without warning and cited “performance” issues. Norris allegedly announced to staff, students and students’ families that Naumovski was terminated “because of complaints of sexual misconduct with a student.”

The lawsuit also claims that all Naumovski’s performance reviews had been positive and that the University denied her requests for a name-clearing hearing following her dismissal because of her status as a Canadian citizen.

Additionally, the lawsuit states that “male coaches were consistently given preferential treatment.” It also contends that during the time of the Naumovski rumors, similar speculation existed involving a male coach at the University and an affair with an adult female student.

Naumovski claimed that, unlike the allegations concerning herself, these allegations were true.

“Male coaches employed by the … University perceived to be or actually in relationships with female students are not terminated,” the lawsuit reads. “Additionally, male coaches accused of wrongdoings were placed on ‘paid leave’ while allegations against them were impartially investigated.”

Although the suit does not mention the names of any male coaches, former Binghamton men’s basketball head coach Kevin Broadus was placed on paid leave in October 2009 following the arrest of two basketball players and the dismissal of six more. Broadus additionally admitted to violating NCAA recruiting regulations, which he had previously denied doing.

The University reached a $1.2 million agreement with Broadus in October 2010, a year after placing the ex-coach on paid leave.

The lawsuit goes on to list further examples of “preferential treatment” toward male coaches as evidence of a discriminatory atmosphere. The list includes a greater leniency in the conduct of male coaches over females, as well as higher pay for male coaches.

Naumovski is seeking $3 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.