3 New Mexico college women basketball players allege assault

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Three former women’s basketball players at Eastern New Mexico University have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming their coach coerced them to undergo “treatments” that amounted to sexual assault by her volunteer trainer husband.

The Albuquerque Journal reported the women were listed as Jane Doe 1, 2 and 3 in the complaint filed Thursday against Meghan de los Reyes, the team’s now-former basketball coach. The lawsuit also names her husband, Glen de los Reyes, as well as his company, Glen’s Fitness Lab. The Board of Regents of the university based in Portales, New Mexico, and Paul Weir, the school’s athletics director, are also named.

The women have since transferred from the school, and Meghan de los Reyes was removed from her position.

A university statement said an investigation into the women’s basketball program had resulted in “no findings of an abusive nature.”

“We did identify opportunities to improve training practices and internal policies with regards to volunteers and volunteer services,” the statement said, adding the university had instructed the coach’s husband “to cease any continued services with student-athletes.”

The newspaper reported that Weir said by phone Thursday he had not seen the lawsuit and referred questions to the university. It also said the couple could not be reached for comment and that no one answered the phone at the husband’s business.

The lawsuit alleges the coach was told about the allegations but protected her husband. It also claims the students’ allegations of assault were reported to athletics trainers at the university but that the school took “minimal action” to protect the student-athletes.