COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Former New Mexico Highlands AD alleges discrimination, retaliatory conduct in lawsuit
Suit is latest development in tumultuous year for Las Vegas-based university
Published
New Mexico Highlands鈥� former athletic director is suing the school, claiming harassment and discrimination, according to a lawsuit filed last month in federal court.
Filed on behalf of Shanna Halalilo, the school鈥檚 AD from January to May 2025, the suit claims NMHU President Neil Woolf and other university administrators ignored her complaints of sexist remarks and sexual advances, and fostered a culture of noncompliance that rendered her attempts to report the incidents futile.
鈥淣MHU similarly discouraged not only Ms. Halalilo, but also women in general in the NMHU community, from making complaints against men, because NMHU would investigate those complaints only slowly and forgivingly,鈥� claims the suit, filed on May 21 in the United States District Court of New Mexico.
The suit alleges that Woolf 鈥� a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 鈥� conferred with other Latter-day Saints administrators and coaches before firing Halalilo for retaliatory and discriminatory reasons. He then approached candidates from the faith about the position before hiring Scott Noble from Western New Mexico University.
Halalilo鈥檚 attorney, Trent Howell, declined to comment beyond the lawsuit鈥檚 filing. Doajo Hicks, NMHU鈥檚 general counsel, said the university does not comment on pending litigation.
鈥淭he complaint sets out allegations that have not been tested or proven, and the university will respond to them through the court process,鈥� he said in a statement provided to the Journal. 鈥淭he university respectfully declines to address the specific claims outside of that process.
鈥淭he university remains committed to providing a workplace and educational environment free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and to complying with all applicable laws, including Title IX and Title VII.鈥�
Halalilo鈥檚 lawsuit is the latest in a tumultuous year for the Las Vegas-based public university. Woolf, provost Daniel Brown and men鈥檚 basketball coach Zach Settembre were placed on administrative leave in May while administrators Paul Grindstaff, David Lepre and Johnny Montoya were terminated; Woolf was fired earlier this month after 鈥渕onths of documented concerns鈥� from NMHU鈥檚 faculty and national teaching unions.
A state forensic audit was launched in May after an inquiry raised 鈥渟ubstantial concerns indicating systemic failures in procurement, contracting authority, financial management, and governance鈥� at NMHU.
Halalilo spent seven years at Highlands, rising from an assistant coach with the women鈥檚 basketball team before being appointed as the school鈥檚 sole AD in early 2025. The suit alleges she was subject to sexist remarks and treatment by NMHU from February 2023 to May 2025, many of which were 鈥渓aughed off鈥� when reported and contributed to 鈥渆roding her health and performance.鈥�
Halalilo鈥檚 suit accuses NMHU of skirting anti-fraternization policies, with administrators and coaches retaliating against her for trying to enforce compliance issues. Upon suspending a student-athlete for 鈥渄ocumented, admitted, and violent鈥� conduct toward a pair of housing directors in April 2025, an NMHU coach 鈥渉eld a grudge鈥� and instigated retaliatory conduct, which the suit claims contributed to Halalilo losing her position.
The suit also claims Halalilo鈥檚 ex-husband 鈥� a former NMHU coach 鈥� was kept on staff despite allegedly harassing and threatening her at work; NMHU initiated a 鈥渞apid鈥� response 鈥渋nconsistent with how it addressed complaints by women against men鈥� upon discovering Halalilo had entered into a relationship with an assistant coach; and, after denying a raise to an NMHU coach upon discovering a graduate assistant on their staff had a romantic relationships with student-athletes, Halalilo said she was informed by other administrators those relationships happened 鈥渁ll the time.鈥�
鈥淏y their literal laughter, inaction, and retaliation in response to these reports, the highest designated officers of NMHU on these matters exhibited intentional discrimination and retaliation, malice, and reckless indifference to (Halalilo鈥檚) federally protected rights,鈥� the suit claims.
Woolf terminated Halalilo for 鈥渧ague reasons鈥� in May 2025. A year later, Woolf and Grindstaff 鈥� NMHU鈥檚 former advancement vice president 鈥� were placed on leave, the lawsuit claims, because they 鈥渁ttempted to use the public, taxpayer funds of NMHU 鈥� a state, non-sectarian educational institution 鈥� to favor and promote (Latter-day Saints) interests and members.鈥�
The suit鈥檚 accusations against Woolf mirror those detailed in a letter written by the board of regents in response to the state鈥檚 audit, which claimed he gave Latter-day Saints 鈥渞eligious preferential treatment鈥� and rigged hiring during his time at NMHU.
In return for damages detailed in the suit, Halailo seeks backpay, lost employee benefits, attorney鈥檚 fees and compensation for emotional distress.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
