The former softball coach at a New Jersey university has sued the school, claiming officials decided to let her go after she complained that women's sports teams got fewer resources than men's teams.
Lawyers for Patricia Carroll filed the suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Trenton. It seeks to have her termination reversed, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
Carroll claims the school violated federal Title IX laws by deciding last year that it would not renew her contract, a decision that takes effect in August 2016. Carroll claims the decision was made after she raised concerns about gender inequality.
John Lenox, a Rider spokesman, said in an email that the university is aware of the lawsuit but "it is our policy not to comment on pending litigation."
Carroll was hired by the school in 1994, and her teams have gone 26-127 over the past three seasons.
According to the suit, she has led her team to three conference softball championships and appeared in two conference finals, as well as earning other accolades.
Among the complaints Carroll issued to the school were allegations that the school provided more scholarship money and booster funding to male teams. She also said the male teams had larger coaching staffs and locker rooms that are closer to the university's playing fields.
