Ithaca College men’s crew team had culture of homophobia

Between 2013 and October 2015, at least nine gay rowers quit the Ithaca College crew team, a lawsuit states.

Now, a former member of the crew team is suing the college; its athletic director, Susan Bassett; and crew team coaches Daniel Robinson and Becky Robinson, claiming that he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation.

The Title IX lawsuit states Christopher Kelley, of Brooklyn, who attended Ithaca College from 2012 to 2016, is suing for damages to be proven at trial, compensatory damages for pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

Kelley was outed as being gay while he was at a party attended by the men’s and women’s crew teams in December 2012.