A former University of Toledo football player turned coach has filed a $10 million discrimination lawsuit against his alma mater, alleging wrongful termination based on racial and age discrimination.
As reported by CBS affiliate WTOL, Craig Kuligowski was hired as an assistant head football coach in 2020 after coaching at several other universities. Toledo terminated his contract in 2023. The lawsuit alleges Kuligowski, who is described in the court document as "a white male over the age of 40," was wrongfully terminated from his position to replace him with a "younger, Black employee."
The lawsuit claims that during Kuligowski's tenure as coach, the university's athletic department announced its intention to hire more coaches who were representative of current student-athletes. The lawsuit claims the word "representative" meant "younger and Black or African American."
According to the document, Kuligowski "grew fearful," as he is an "older, white coach who coaches and recruits mostly non-white players." Kuligowski claims he was, as a former student athlete at UToledo, nonetheless representative of student-athletes.
Kuligowski alleged the university "seized on an opportunity" to fire him based on a claim of sexual harassment filed against Kuligowski, which the lawsuit described as "false and frivolous," WTOL reported. The lawsuit claimed an employee reported him for making a comment about the pants she was wearing. Kuligowski claimed he never made the statement.
The university opened an investigation into Kuligowski, but did not find evidence to support the claim, according to the lawsuit.
Two months later, the employee who had made the initial report sat down next to Kuligowski and initiated a conversation. According to the lawsuit, Kuligowski said to the employee, "if my wife knew you were near me, she'd kill you."
The lawsuit claims the comment was a joke. The employee filed a formal complaint against Kuligowski for retaliation and requested his firing.
The university placed Kuligowski on suspension a day later. Following an interview with the university's human resources department, he was found responsible for retaliation without a hearing, something Toledo's Title IX regulations require, the lawsuit said, as reported by WTOL.
Kuligowski's contract was terminated Jan. 14, 2023. The lawsuit claims Kuligowski's position was filled several months later by "a younger, Black employee."
As outlined by WTOL, Kuligowski is suing Toledo on the following counts:
- Race discrimination in violation of Title VII, against the University of Toledo
- Race discrimination in violation of Title VI, against the University of Toledo
- Age discrimination in violation of the ADEA, against the University of Toledo.
- Violation of the due process clause of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution, against HR Executive Director Bethany Zivisky in her official capacity
- Violation of the due process clause, against HR Executive Director Bethany Zivisky in her individual capacity
- Violation of the equal protection clause, against HR Executive Director Bethany Zivisky in her individual capacity
- Violation of the equal protection clause, against HR Executive Director Bethany Zivisky in her official capacity
In addition to the $10 million in damages plus costs associated with the trial sought by Kuligowski, the former coach seeks a jury trial.
The University of Toledo provided WTOL with the following statement:
"Craig Kuligowski, a former assistant football coach at The University of Toledo, was terminated for cause Jan. 14, 2023, for violating the University’s non-retaliation and standards of conduct policies. UToledo is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone and holds our leaders to high standards.
"It is imperative that all employees follow University policy and provide educational and working environments that are free from discrimination and harassment. The University will decline further comment on pending litigation."
