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Jury trial date set for former Lady Griz coach's lawsuit against University of Montana

Shannon Schweyen
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MISSOULA — A trial date for Shannon Schweyen's lawsuit against the University of Montana has officially been set.

Schweyen's case against UM is scheduled to appear before a seven-person jury on Nov. 13 at the Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula, according to court documents obtained by MTN Sports.

Schweyen, the former head coach of the Montana Lady Griz basketball program, is suing UM for alleged sex discrimination after her contract as head coach was not renewed at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season.

UM denies the allegations. The case was filed in U.S. District Court and will be heard by Judge Dana Christensen. The date for the jury trial was set in August.

Should the case reach that Nov. 13 date, it'll have been just over two years since the initial filing of Schweyen's suit, which took place on Nov. 11, 2021.

Schweyen was the head basketball coach for the Lady Griz for four seasons, beginning in August of 2016 when she took over for Robin Selvig after his 38-year run as coach at UM. Schweyen went 52-69 overall as head coach at UM and 34-42 in Big Sky Conference games. Under Schweyen, the Lady Griz were 1-4 at the Big Sky tournament.

Prior to getting the head coaching job, Schweyen was an assistant coach for the Lady Griz for 24 seasons under Selvig, for who she also played at Montana. Schweyen is often considered to be the best female basketball player to both play for the Lady Griz and to come from Montana.

In her complaint, Schweyen highlights her termination, her salary discrepancy compared to other male coaches with the Grizzlies, UM's alleged reaction to Lady Griz players entering the transfer portal versus other sports, and more.

To see the full updated court document, click here.