Fired assistant coach says Academy of Art covered up sex harassment

A former assistant coach for Academy of Art University’s women’s basketball team in San Francisco has filed suit against the school and its athletic department, claiming he was fired after he reported complaints about another assistant coach sexually harassing the team’s players. less A former assistant coach for Academy of Art University’s women’s basketball team in San Francisco has filed suit against the school and its athletic department, claiming he was fired after he reported ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Fired assistant coach says Academy of Art covered up sex harassment 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A former assistant coach for Academy of Art University’s women’s basketball team in San Francisco has filed suit against the school and its athletic department, claiming he was fired after he reported complaints about another assistant coach sexually harassing the team’s players.

Robert Donaldson is seeking damages of $20 million from the university for alleged wrongful termination and retaliation.

Officials with Academy of Art’s athletic department did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit, filed on Donaldson’s behalf Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court.

According to the lawsuit, Donaldson was fired about two months after he reported the alleged harassment to head coach LaNay Larson.

In January, some of the players told Donaldson that another male assistant coach “had been using sexually explicit language, making sexual inferences and repeatedly responded to questions by team members by using sexual innuendo,” according to the lawsuit. It does not identify the other assistant coach.

Other players said the assistant coach would make comments during games about a team member having sex with players on the other team.

Donaldson reported the complaints to Larson the day players came to him, according to the suit. Two days later, on Jan. 19, he says he was contacted by the school’s assistant athletics director, Cole Wilson, whom the lawsuit identifies as Larson’s live-in partner.

Wilson reportedly told Donaldson that Larson had worked hard to boost the school’s basketball program, and that “not one player or coach ... will keep the program from building,” according to the lawsuit.

Larson later told Donaldson that “the girls said you are lying,” the suit says. When he asked to bring the players into the meeting, Larson refused, according to the suit.

On March 27, Larson fired Donaldson, the suit says. Donaldson, who had been recruited for the coaching position from Utah State, is also accusing the university of willfully deceiving him about the job and his job security.

According to the lawsuit, Larson told Donaldson not to inform the Academy of Art’s human resources department of his termination, or of the sexual harassment complaints. He said he was also instructed by Athletic Director Ben Jay “not to say anything to anyone and not to report his complaint or his firing.”

Larson has coached the Academy of Art team since 2011.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo