Fired LMU Women's Soccer Coach Alleges Fracture in Player Dedication
by Contributing Editor October 30, 2022
Loyola Marymount University's former women's soccer coach is suing the school for wrongful termination, alleging she encountered a split loyalty from players from the start and that a member of the athletics staff said he did not care about the success of the women's teams.
Jenny Bindon's Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit contains a host of other allegations, including breach of contract, retaliation, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Bindon seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
An LMU representative could not be immediately reached for comment on the suit brought Oct. 21.
Bindon was hired in December 2019 as the sixth head coach in program history. During her two seasons with LMU, she posted an overall record of 1-26-1. In the 2020-21 season — which was played during the spring semester due to the coronavirus pandemic — the Lions posted a 1-7-1 record.
As a player, Bindon represented the New Zealand national team for 10 years, collecting 77 caps, the most by a goalkeeper, men's or women's, in that nation's history. Prior to joining LMU, Bindon was an assistant coach with UCLA for three years.
Soon after she was hired, Bindon encountered resistance from students, parents and members of the LMU athletic department, the suit states.
"Despite Bindon's valiant and herculean attempt to motivate and inspire the students, her efforts were rebuffed," the suit states. "Her frank discussions as to the level of dedication needed to get back to the Sweet Sixteen were scoffed at."
Bindon's directives were ignored and even expressly rejected, according to the suit.
"Students who were directed to work out more, or differently, flatly refused to do so," making it clear they were on the team only to build their resumes, the suit states. Their alleged lack of dedication interfered with the progress of those who wanted to work hard and improve, according to the suit.
The allegedly undedicated students bragged to their other teammates that they had gotten rid of their last coach and would do the same with Bindon, according to the suit.
Athletics department management brushed aside Bindon's concerns and stated a concern only for the success of men's, but not women's teams, which disturbed the plaintiff because her contract was tied in part to wins, the suit states. She was placed on a 10-day leave after being accused of uttering the "N-word," a term she says she actually used in admonishing students to never say it, according to her suit.
Bindon returned to work on Oct. 8, 2021, and met with students, explaining how she sought mental health assistance and contacted a suicide prevention hotline, the suit states. An athletics department manager later told her that her psychological disclosures to her students caused them trauma and that she had committed misconduct, the suit states.
When Bindon asked a management member who had told him about her disclosures to the students, she was accused of retaliation and fired on Oct. 28, 2021, according to the suit.
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