URBANA — The University of Illinois is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by seven former women's basketball players against the board of trustees, athletic director Mike Thomas, women's basketball coach Matt Bollant and former assistant Mike Divilbiss.
The suit, filed in July, alleged that Bollant and Divilbiss created a racially hostile environment in violation of the Federal Civil Rights Act. It asks for $10 million in damages.
The motion to dismiss argues that the university cannot be sued because of the principle of sovereign immunity. In federal courts, states cannot be sued without their consent.