Jan. 19, 2007

CHICAGO (AP) - A men's basketball player at the University of Illinois-Chicago has filed a lawsuit that names coach Jimmy Collins, as well as other school officials, alleging that an assistant coach sexually harassed the player.

The lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday claims Luis Martinez was sexually harassed by Lynn Mitchem, an assistant coach for the Flames.

Mark Rosati, associate chancellor for public affairs at UIC, said Thursday that the university doesn't comment on litigation. He said Mitchem is on paid leave.

Martinez, a walk-on freshman, claims in the lawsuit that Mitchem put a hand on the player's bare chest in the locker room following a Dec. 19 game and made sexually suggestive comments.

The lawsuit claims that Mitchem later tried to intimidate Martinez by asking him about his grades and punching his arm. The player is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Sheldon Nagelberg, an attorney for Martinez, said the player left the team in the days after the alleged incident. He is being treated for depression and is not attending school, Nagelberg said.

Collins has been on leave from coaching duties since Dec. 23, when he gave notice of an indefinite leave of absence because of "physical and mental" exhaustion. He underwent surgery in early January after tests showed he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a swelling of the main blood vessel in the abdomen.

A message for comment from Collins left Friday with the university's sports information department was not immediately returned. A telephone listing for Lynn Mitchem in the Chicago area could not be located Friday.