PROVIDENCE – A former Providence College athletic psychologist is suing the Dominican Friars school in federal court, alleging that her role within the athletic department was “demoted, isolated and ultimately terminated” for raising gender and racial discrimination concerns against herself and within PC’s men’s basketball program.
In a 35-page suit filed July 7 in U.S. District Court, Jessica P. Stewart states her role with PC at the time provided clinical mental health services to student-athletes and teams. Her duties included conducting comprehensive psychological assessments, developing treatment plans, providing ongoing therapeutic care, and collaborating with coaches, medical staff and counseling center clinicians to offer integrated support for student-athlete mental health, among other tasks.
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In the lawsuit, Stewart alleges she did not receive any monetary raises while at PC, despite the school regularly increasing her hours and responsibilities, and she claimed the school “routinely” provided pay increases to and/or negotiated compensation with male employees who were promoted.
Stewart also alleges that PC Vice President and Director of Athletics Steven Napolillo, among other male colleagues, treated her in a discriminatory fashion, saying she should “smile more and be less direct” after a meeting.
“Such feedback would not have been provided if Dr. Stewart were a male,” the lawsuit states. The suit also alleges that Napolillo and Steven Sears, PC’s vice president for student affairs and dean of students, would “falsely claim” they could not provide Stewart raises because other women in the athletic department “would not feel comfortable making less [money] than she does.”
In the lawsuit, Stewart also claims the backlash directed at former PC men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley – who left the school in March 2023 for Georgetown University – was “racially charged, abusive and intrusive.” She alleges PC failed and refused to publicly denounce such racial undertones.
In December 2023, according to the lawsuit, Stewart claimed PC officials informed her that her $165,000 annual salary “would no longer exist.” She was then offered a role as a consulting clinical psychologist for student-athletes that would pay $55,000 less than what she previously earned, the suit claims. Stewart claims the decreased pay was PC retaliating against her for reporting discrimination concerns to school officials.
Additionally, in January 2024, Stewart claims in the lawsuit, current PC men’s basketball coach Kim English told her that school President The Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard “wants you gone.” Stewart was terminated from her job five months later, the suit alleges.
“I am a private person, and I am not comfortable being in the spotlight, but I had no choice but to pursue this lawsuit because I believe by remaining silent, I would be complicit in the misconduct of Providence College’s leadership,” Stewart said in a statement.
Richard A. Sinapi, managing attorney for Warwick-based Sinapi Law Associates Ltd. who is representing Stewart, said in a statement that Stewart’s termination from PC was “an obvious effort to silence her.”
“She brought this lawsuit not only to seek relief for the economic and emotional harm she sustained, but also to seek positive change on behalf of women and student athletes and staff of color at Providence College,” Sinapi said.
Through spokesperson Steven Maurano, PC denies Stewart’s claims in the lawsuit, stating the allegations are “without merit and that the court will agree.”
Maurano said Stewart raised these “unsubstantiated” allegations last year with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights after she “elected to resign following her decline of a full time, supervisory position with the college.”
“The college submitted significant information and documents to the commission refuting those allegations,” Maurano said. “Ms. Stewart has now chosen to assert these claims with the federal court.”
Stewart is seeking unspecified damages from PC and is demanding a jury trial.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
