ST. LOUIS — A former student-athlete has filed a federal lawsuit against Lindenwood University and several current and former staff members, alleging severe and persistent sex-based discrimination, retaliation and failure to address her Title IX complaints during her time on the women’s hockey team.
Ryann Perrett, a Canadian national from Alberta and former Division I hockey recruit, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, naming Lindenwood University, athletic and mental health administrators and hockey coaching staff as defendants, according to a complaint filed June 10 in federal court.
The complaint alleges multiple violations of Title IX, breach of contract and negligence.
Perrett enrolled at Lindenwood in August 2022 on a sports scholarship and joined the women’s hockey team, according to the suit. From the start of her enrollment, she claims she faced verbal harassment and exclusion from teammates who perceived her as a threat due to her athletic talent.
Perrett also alleges that her heterosexual identity placed her at odds with a dominant social clique on the team, composed largely of players and staff who identified as lesbian.
In one incident cited in the complaint, a teammate allegedly cross-checked Perrett in the jaw during a pre-game skate, requiring medical attention.
She also claims ongoing verbal harassment and intimidation, including from teammate Julia McGuire.
Despite repeated reports to team captains and coaches Shelley Looney and Kristi Kehoe, the complaint alleges no corrective action was taken.
Perrett further claims that after reporting her treatment, retaliatory actions followed.
McGuire allegedly made false accusations of racism against her, and coaches reportedly confronted Perrett with the allegations without conducting a proper investigation. The complaint states Perrett was removed from practice on Dec. 7, 2022, and was isolated without any explanation to her or her family.
Retaliation allegedly escalated through criticism of her performance, unwarranted benching and increasing social isolation.
The complaint also states that on Nov. 12, 2022, Perrett was removed from the team altogether. Though she completed her classes online, she never returned to campus for the spring semester.
In seeking help from university administration, Perrett and her mother reached out to Athletic Director Jason Coomer and submitted a written complaint in November 2022. Coomer failed to attend a scheduled meeting, and no meaningful investigation or support followed, according to the lawsuit.
Perrett alleges that the hostile environment took a toll on her mental health, resulting in a diagnosis of severe depression and anxiety. A knee injury she suffered in October 2022 was also reportedly misdiagnosed, compounding her distress and impairing her academic and athletic performance.
The lawsuit further claims that after entering the NCAA transfer portal in March 2023, Perrett experienced an abrupt loss of interest from recruiters, suggesting defamatory information had been shared. Her scholarship was revoked on April 1, 2023, forcing her to withdraw from Lindenwood and return to Canada. Her NCAA eligibility, the complaint states, was effectively destroyed.
Though coaching staff Shelley Looney and Kristi Kehoe left the program in May 2023, the lawsuit describes the departures as too late to remedy the harm already done.
Lindenwood University, according to the suit, has refused to acknowledge wrongdoing or take corrective action.
Perrett alleges that she continues to suffer psychological harm and disruption to both her academic and athletic careers.
Perrett is seeking compensatory and punitive damages exceeding $75,000, as well as other relief. She is represented by Antranik Boyadzhyan of Lento Law Group in Mount Laurel, N.J.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri case number: 4:25-cv-00846
