Former Penn State marching band member claims sexual, gender-based harassment by coach in lawsuit

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Former Penn State Nittany Lions majorette Kaitlyn Wassel filed a lawsuit against the university on claims of sexual and gender-based harassment as a member of the Blue Band. 

According to PennLive.com, Wassel filed the suit Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court against Penn State, where she claims the university failed to protect her from majorette coach Heather Bean from 2018 through 2022.

Wassell is seeking "unspecified damages for violations of Title IX and the equal protection clause of the Constitution," according to PennLive.com. She needs mental health treatment and medication, while suffering from panic attacks to this day from her alleged abuse. 

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Penn State Nittany Lions marching band takes the field before a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines on November 11, 2023, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.  (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A Penn State spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the university generally does not comment on pending litigation. 

Bean, who resigned from her position in 2022 after being the head majorette coach since 1994 at Penn State, is claimed to have had gender-based misconduct against Wassel, and it was not a secret to the rest of the marching band. 

Wassel says that Bean’s treatment of her was known by Blue Band director Gregory Drane, as well as university administrators. But Drane and the administrators allegedly ignored Wassel when approached about the situation. 

Wassel broke down numerous instances where she was harassed, including in 2018 when the semester began with alleged "fat-shaming"