Tennessee’s Belmont University says its women’s soccer coach resigned yesterday — but players say she was forced to leave after she came out to them.
Mike Organ of Tennesseean spoke with several players from the Belmont team, who say coach Lisa Howe asked the administration for permission to tell the team that she and her partner were expecting a baby. The administration didn’t answer for several weeks, and according to senior Erica Carter, “people were finding out, so she went ahead and took the initiative and told us, even though they didn’t clear her to tell us.” Then Howe was told she could either resign or be fired. A statement by Athletics Director Mike Strickland says, “Women’s soccer coach Lisa Howe has informed the university of her intent to conclude her employment with Belmont. This was a decision Coach Howe made.” But soccer team captain Sari Lin says that when she met with Strickland about Howe’s resignation, he told her a different story:
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