A woman who was romantically tied to former UW-Madison basketball coach Bo Ryan filed a lawsuit against eight university officials, claiming defamation and deprivation of due process.
Robin Van Ert, 42, sued Chancellor Rebecca Blank, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and university spokesperson John Lucas among other school leaders following their investigation into her relationship with Ryan.
The complaint alleges that officials did not conduct their duties appropriately when looking into whether Ryan used university funds inappropriately. Van Ert, a massage therapist, lost her business and dealt with harm to her reputation after the investigation, the complaint says.
Ryan admitted to having extramarital relations with Van Ert last year after resigning from his position at the university. The two were involved from 2009 until 2014, after which she sent an email to officials in 2015 detailing the affair and expressed concerns about whether Ryan should be mentoring student athletes.
The complaint also argues that officials violated Wisconsin’s Open Records law for releasing Van Ert’s email in March. Lucas also disclosed her name to a Wisconsin State Journal reporter, according to the complaint.
Van Ert is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees.
