MADISON, Wis. (CN) - A group of former University of Wisconsin-Madison women's basketball players sued their former coach, along with the university, in a federal complaint filed Friday, accusing the school of covering up her mistreatment of players.

The five former players, in the suit filed in the Western District of Wisconsin, claim that coach Marisa Moseley "unconstitutionally toyed with the mental health of her players," retaliated against them based on protected speech and discriminated against them based on their disabilities or perceived disabilities.

Moseley became head coach of the school's women's basketball team in 2021 and lead to the team to record-breaking wins each season and set 12 school records in her first season with the team, according to the university website.

The players also name Justin Doherty, senior associate athletic director for external communications, and the university as defendants. The players say that they turned a blind eye to the abuse being inflicted upon players.

"Moseley's psychological abuse, and Doherty's condoning of and participation in that abuse - along with defendants' retaliation, discrimination, privacy violations, denial of access to federally funded programs or activities, and failure to accommodate disabilities - were part of a continuing and ongoing practice directed at each plaintiff," the players said.

The players claim she unconstitutionally intruded upon their privacy, made unilateral medical and mental health decisions for them, bullied them with jabs about their bodies or their positions as members of protected classes and verbally abused them to the point of tears.

While going over the team handbook, Moseley apparently told players she would rather they engaged in bestiality than intra-team sexual relationships, according to the plaintiffs. And they say that, during one-on-one meetings, Moseley forced the plaintiffs to tell her intimate details of their romantic, sexual and familial relationships.

The players also claim Moseley interfered with their mental health treatment, including signing agreements authorizing the release of their medical records to the university or face removal from the team.

"Moseley accomplished all of this by abusing her position of power by making threats about scholarships and playing time, and manipulating her players, claiming that she was simply 'building trust' with them on and off the court," the players write.

For his part, Doherty told players that if they hadn't written down their complaints against Moseley, there was nothing he could do, according to the plaintiffs. The players say both Doherty and the university knew about Moseley's treatment.

"The university failed to intervene, and plaintiffs suffered serious mental illnesses resulting in a myriad of prescription mental health medications prescribed by university providers, multiple self-harm incidents requiring emergency medical treatment, and acute psychological events resulting in treatment at a residential facility," they say

The plaintiffs say they experienced panic attacks, discomfort, trauma and even left the team, due to the complete control Moseley had over their lives.

Moseley and Doherty resigned and retired, respectively, from their posts last spring, just one month apart. Mosely declined to give a reason for her departure, according to assistant director of brand communications Megan Milliron.

But the former student athletes - who played for the Badgers under Moseley at overlapping points between 2021 and 2023. - claim in Friday's complaint that she resigned amid public accusations by the players.

Doherty released a statement after Moseley's resignation stating that the university cares deeply about the wellbeing of student athletes and they would look into the claims made against her by one plaintiff, Tessa Towers.

Towers, who was 17 years old when she enrolled to play for the Badgers, posted on her personal TikTok page in January a slideshow of some experiences she had with Moseley during her freshman year, saying the experience was completely ruined.

She claimed in the video that Moseley kicked her off the team for seeking in-patient mental health treatment, repeatedly belittled her to the point of tears and made her feel like a "lab rat" after repeatedly changing  her mental health medications.

Towers posted the video just two months before Moseley resigned.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison declined to comment on the suit.

Source: Courthouse News Service