Young woman booted from team for being straight (OneNewsNow.com)

Young woman booted from team for being straight

Pete Chagnon and Jody Brown - OneNewsNow - 2/13/2009 6:00:00 AM

female basketball player Central Michigan University is being sued after one of their women's basketball players said she was kicked off the team due to her heterosexuality.

Brooke Heike was a high school basketball star who was aggressively sought after by several colleges that wanted the league MVP from Washington Township, Michigan, to continue her record-breaking rebounding and shot-blocking skills on their campus. After leading her team to its first conference title in 18 years as a high school senior, the 6-foot-2 forward decided to attend Central Michigan University, which offered her a full scholarship.

But Heike says she fell out of favor in 2007 with CMU's new women's basketball head coach, Sue Guevara, and was eventually kicked off the team. She claims the coach, who is allegedly lesbian, took issue with her heterosexuality. Cindy Rhodes Victor of the Victor Firm, PLLC is representing Heike.

"She was not only kicked off the team, but her scholarship was taken away because the coach kept telling her that she wasn't her 'type,'" Victor explains. "And when Brooke would ask what was that, [Guevara] would say 'I don't want you to wear makeup, you have a boyfriend, I don't want you to have a boyfriend...you're too girly girl' -- that type of thing."

Brooke Heike (CMU basketball player) Victor says Heike was an excellent basketball player. She adds that her teammates liked her, but still Heike's coach refused to help her out. Heike ended up hiring independent trainers to help her. According to Heike's attorney, cancellation of elementary education major's scholarship came as a surprise.

"She wasn't even told ever that her scholarship was in jeopardy or that her position was in jeopardy," says Victor. "Out of the blue she gets a letter from the financial aid office that says your scholarship's gone." A teammate then told the 20-year-old that "the coach announced yesterday that you were off the team because you're not happy."

CMU representatives refused a request for an interview, but instead emailed OneNewsNow a statement saying they are familiar with the allegations and that they will defend their position in court. According to the case file, the coach in question was fired from a coaching job at another school in 2003. Team members at that school accused Sue Guevara of similar actions.