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Lincoln High School’s boys varsity basketball coach was so troubled by parents unhappy with her roster decisions that she filed a legal claim against Portland Public Schools in October, saying its investigation of her created a hostile work environment.
In that claim, coach Heather Seely-Roberts’ attorney says she was subjected to a smear campaign by parents irate that their son didn’t get more playing time, and the district failed to protect her. Her legal claim, obtained today by WW, offers a markedly different account of the turmoil inside the celebrated Lincoln High hoops program than the one filed yesterday by four anonymous students who accused Seely-Roberts of retaliating against them and using a homophobic slur.
“This family appears unhappy that their student did not secure a position on the varsity basketball team,” the Oct. 23 tort claim says, “and is now retaliating against Heather Seely-Roberts by filing false complaints against her and trying to get her removed from the basketball program at Lincoln High School.”
Attorneys for Seely-Roberts provided WW with her legal claim after WW reached out for comment on the legal claim filed by the students.
Both filings are tort claim notices—notices of an intent to sue.
Portland lawyer Steve Lindsey addressed her notice to Portland Public Schools and alleged the district failed to take appropriate action to protect its employee.
The family named by Seely-Roberts’ attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. PPS spokeswoman Valerie Feder says the district does not comment on pending litigation.
The tort claim notice alleges the district is violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title IX, which prohibit discrimination based on sex. Seely-Roberts is the only female head coach of a 6A boys basketball team in Oregon.
The district, the notice also alleges, is also engaging in unlawful defamation and false light, jeopardizing Seely-Roberts’ career and violating a statewide law that prohibits discrimination in education.
The notice also alleges the district is creating a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and is violating multiple state laws that protect her right to privacy.
On Sept. 20, the tort claim alleges Seely-Roberts was required to start complying with district athletic regulations that no male coach in Portland Public Schools must face. She is required to host open gyms under the direct supervision of the district’s senior athletic director, Marshall Haskins. Haskins, the claim alleges, also supervised basketball tryouts, which are usually only conducted by Seely-Roberts. (In a statement to WW, Ross Denison, another one of Seely-Roberts’ attorneys, said eight basketball coaches and Haskins decided basketball tryout outcomes this year.)
Haskins, the tort claim alleges, also sent an open invitation to parents of the Lincoln boys basketball team to meet with him “to discuss their opinions and feelings about Heather Seely-Roberts.”
“These actions—which are not imposed on any of the male coaches—reflect unlawful disparate treatment of Heather Seely-Roberts based on her gender,” the notice reads. “These restrictions are undermining and demeaning and reflect the District’s complete disregard for the false perceptions of Heather Seely-Roberts created by the District’s conduct.
The tort claim notice also addresses the allegations that the coach used racist or homophobic language. It alleges the district is now “investigating a false allegation” that Seely-Roberts is racist, homophobic, or uses racial slurs at her practices. (It does not include any mention of Seely-Roberts’ use of a homophobic slur.)
On Friday evening, Matt Wiles, the athletic director at Lincoln, sent an email to parents of players on the boys basketball team.
“Some of you may have seen an article recently about out basketball coach,” he wrote. “As I am sure you can imagine, this is a difficult situation with complex and varied perspectives.
“We do not support, tolerate or condone racist or homophobic comments or behavior,” Wiles continued. “We take reported concerns seriously, and as parents of team members, we want you to know that PPS’s investigation did not find evidence of homophobic or racially discriminatory behavior within the LHS basketball program.”
(WW has not seen the results of any PPS investigation that considered allegations of racist or homophobic remarks.)
The families of the four students who filed a tort claim accusing Seely-Roberts of retaliating against their sons said in a statement Friday evening that they stand by their allegations.
“The LHS Tort Families stand by the complaints in their tort claim,” they wrote, “which includes complaints against Roberts’s racist and homophobic behaviors, which have occurred over the course of a number of years.”
On Nov. 4, Seely-Roberts sent her own email to Sharon Reese, PPS’s chief human resources officer, demanding that the district conduct an investigation against her treatment from the family.
“Over the past two years, I have been subjected to harassment, intimidation and bullying by the [redacted] family,” Seely-Roberts wrote in the email. “Despite defending myself against numerous baseless accusations, they continue a very public campaign against me with knowingly false, defamatory claims about me and my coaching decisions. Their conduct has unreasonably interfered with my workplace, creating an intimidating, hostile and offensive working environment.”
This story has been updated with a response from the Lincoln tort families, and a letter from Lincoln Athletic Director Matt Wiles. Both are from Friday evening.