08-01-2024
Katey Stone coached women’s ice hockey at Harvard for 27 seasons. She retired in 2023 during an investigation into allegations that she mistreated her players. Stone was allegedly insensitive to mental health issues, downplayed injuries, led derogatory chants toward players, and pitted players against each other to curry her favor. Published reports also reflected a culture of hazing with forced alcohol consumption and sexualized traditions.
Stone now accuses Harvard of forcing her out because of these "false" allegations. She states it was part of a widespread problem at Harvard "wherein female coaches are undervalued, underpaid, heavily scrutinized, and held to a breathtakingly more stringent standard of behavior than their male counterparts." The former coach spoke about her perception of the challenges facing all coaches, requiring them to balance bringing out the best in athletes while not pushing too hard and triggering mental health crises. Stone asserts that female coaches face even higher scrutiny for conduct that may be considered over the line.
Stone did not address published reports about her conduct during her lawsuit announcement. She did admit to using the phrase, "There are too many chiefs. . .not enough Indians." In her lawsuit, Stone claims she and other female coaches went to the University to advocate for pay transparency and parity between male and female coaches. She believes the University then used the phrase incident as a pretext to investigate her. Harvard said an investigation into the allegations against Stone revealed that different people experienced the traditions differently, with some individuals uncomfortable. In her lawsuit, Stone denies being aware of inappropriate behavior, including hazing. She asserts that she "fostered an environment of respect and dignity." Stone alleges Harvard gave more latitude to male coaches when employing coaching strategies and behaviors. Three former Harvard players spoke out in support of Stone. Harvard has not commented on the ongoing litigation.