Lesbian relationships are common in women’s basketball, but at times they can still be frown upon or be kept secret at certain universities.
According to these two women, Pepperdine is one of those universities.
The women behind the suit are Haley Videckis and Layana White — who each transferred to Pepperdine from other school because they believed they would have a better shot at the WNBA.
But according to the suit, several officials at Pepperdine — a Christian-based university in Malibu — began to suspect the players were in a lesbian relationship earlier this year … and started looking for an excuse to boot them off the team.
According to the suit, the women claim the basketball coach, Ryan Weisenberg, gave a speech on the topic of “lesbianism” in April … in which he said, “Lesbianism is not tolerated on this team. It is the reason why teams lose.”
Long story short, Layana claims she has eligibility issues with the NCAA and Pepperdine won’t help because of her sexual orientation. Haley claims she has recovered from a minor tailbone injury, but the school won’t clear her to play even though her doctor has signed off.
Pepperdine says they are looking into it, while the women are suing for discrimination, harassment, retaliation and more.