Former Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Players Slap School, Coach With Lawsuit Over Abuse Allegations

A total of five former players from the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team have slapped the university’s Board of Regents with a civil lawsuit, as well as ex-coach Marisa Moseley and ex-women’s basketball administrator Justin Doherty, over allegations of psychological abuse. Doherty was also the school’s senior associate athletic director for external communications.

Back in March, Moseley resigned as the head coach of the Wisconsin program due to “personal reasons.” A month later in April, Doherty retired from his position. In the suit, the former Badgers are seeking compensation that’s unspecified and punitive damages. (RELATED: Nuggets Slapped With Lawsuit By Their Own Mascot)

Listed as the plaintiffs are Tara Stauffacher, Krystyna Ellew, Tessa Towers, Mary Ferrito and Alexis Duckett, with the women claiming that Doherty became aware of Moseley’s alleged abuse, but did nothing about it.

According to a report from Front Office Sports, Moseley allegedly bullied the players, allegedly discriminated against them because of their disabilities or ones that were perceived, and it’s also claimed by the players that Moseley was an interference to the treatment of their mental health citing abuse and retaliation.

Five ex-Wisconsin women’s basketball players suing former coach for alleged mental abuse https://t.co/aZkUcVAdAm pic.twitter.com/kWGEdkafM5

— New York Post (@nypost) August 17, 2025

It’s also claimed in the lawsuit that Moseley forced her players into signing “agreements authorizing the release of all medical and mental health records to the University … threatening to remove them from the team if they refused.”

It’s alleged that 11 women’s basketball players exited the Badgers program, and that a “disproportionate number” had to undergo treatment for their issues with mental health.