UC coach accused of racism

and Yash Mehta The Daily Californian BERKELEY, Calif. (U-WIRE) -- University of California-Berkeley women's basketball coach Marianne Stanley is facing an impending lawsuit stemming from an alleged racist outburst on Oct. 23 of last year. Ricky Marciano, a 34-year-old actor and UC Berkeley alum, intends to file a suit against both Stanley and the university by Tuesday of next week, accusing her of violating Marciano's civil rights, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, negligent affliction of emotional distress and assault. Stanley, currently on a road trip with her team in Pullman, Wash., declined to comment on the matter from her hotel Wednesday night. Marciano claims the incident occurred at about 2 p.m. in one of the school's gyms. While Marciano and nine other men were engaged in a full-court game of pickup basketball, members of the Cal women's basketball team -- which practices at 2:30 p.m. -- filtered onto the court. During a fast break, one of the players collided a member of the Cal women's basketball team. Marciano alleges Stanley, incensed with the pickup players, directed condescending remarks at the group. When Marciano -- who is black -- turned away in disgust, he claims that Stanley tore into him with a prolonged, profanity-laden tirade. "She told me, 'Don't you suck your teeth at me, you black bastard, I'll come over there and kick your motherfucking ass,' " said Marciano. "She called me 'black motherfucker' at least 20 times." Marciano and his attorney, Clarence Livingston, said they filed the suit because the university has been unwilling to disclose what disciplinary action, if any, has been taken against Stanley. The pair took Marciano's case to university officials on Oct. 31. Members of the Cal athletic department present at the meeting included Athletic Director John Kasser, Chris Dawson, associate director and senior women's administrator, and Michael Smith, assistant chancellor of legal affairs. Marciano grew frustrated when the university refused to elaborate on its investigation of Stanley after he had inquired about it in mid-December. Marciano and Livingston then made a written demand of disclosure on Jan. 27. In the letter, Marciano and Livingston threatened to go public with the situation if not given an update of the university's investigation, and additionally demanded financial compensation for Marciano. The university never responded to the letter. A source within the athletic department described the letter as an "unabashed attempt at an out-of-court settlement," to which the athletic department did not want to "cave in." Livingston said that Marciano's impending lawsuit seeks both general and punitive damages. Stanley is in her second season as Cal's head coach, compiling an overall record of 11-38. The 43-year-old coach guided Old Dominion to three national championships in 1978, '79 and '84. She later assumed the head coaching post at USC in 1989. Her tenure with the Trojans came to a controversial conclusion in 1993 after Stanley filed a gender equity suit against the university asking for an identical salary to then-Trojans men's coach George Raveling.