Jim Calhoun. Photo: Pat Eaton-Robb/AP

Two days after the University of St. Joseph was hit was a lawsuit alleging sex discrimination involving Hall of Fame men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun, the school has retained Murtha Cullina to represent it.

St. Joseph is fighting a suit from former associate athletic director Jaclyn Piscitelli, who named it as the sole defendant in a federal lawsuit Wednesday.

The court docket in Piscitelli v. University of St. Joseph, updated Friday afternoon, shows two Murtha Cullina attorneys representing the university: Partner Patricia Reilly and associate Martha Royston, both from the New Haven office of the 102-lawyer firm.

Defense  counsel will face Piscitelli's attorneys: Jacques Parenteau and Magdalena Wiktor of Madsen, Prestley & Parenteau in New London.

The litigation stems from allegations that Calhoun, who worked for 26 years as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Connecticut before joining St. Joseph, made demeaning and belittling comments toward Piscitelli. Calhoun joined the university as head basketball coach in September 2018. Piscitelli was fired the following June.

The lawsuit also claims Calhoun commented on her sexual attractiveness and told her, "Well, you're certainly hot." It seeks compensatory damages, back pay and reinstatement, compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Reached Friday, Calhoun declined to comment.

Here is a look at plaintiff's counsel and the university's attorneys.

Reilly serves as chairwoman of Murtha Cullina's labor and employment practice.

According to the biography on the firm's website, Reilly litigates employment and restrictive covenant cases in state and federal courts. In addition to maintaining a litigation practice, she also advises clients on employment law matters, including sexual harassment and discrimination avoidance, disability and pregnancy accommodations, and wage-and-hour compliance. Reilly also provides training on labor and employment issues, particularly sexual-harassment prevention. She did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Royston is an associate in Murtha Cullina's litigation department and the firm's labor and employment practice group.

She represents employers in claims of discrimination and retaliation, breach of noncompete and restrictive covenants, and wage-and-hour violations. Royston also counsels on best practices, and helps management and human resource professionals navigate personnel issues, such as employee discipline and leave. She is treasurer of the Connecticut Bar Association's labor and employment section. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Parenteau represents employees in state and federal courts for Madsen Prestley, where he focuses on employment litigation at the trial and appellate levels. He has represented plaintiffs in employment-related claims of wrongful discharge, and discrimination claims related to age, gender, race, sexual harassment and pregnancy. He is a member of the American and Connecticut Trial Lawyers associations, and the Connecticut and National Employment Lawyers associations.

Parenteau declined to comment Friday, beyond saying, "We look forward to vindicating Jaclyn's claim that she had a right to work in a nonhostile environment."

Parenteau's co-counsel Wiktor joined Madsen Prestley in 2010. She earned her law degree in 2010 from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Her online biography notes that during her time in law school, Wiktor was interscholastic director of the Connecticut Moot Court Board, and executive director of the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal.

Wiktor also held internships with the Connecticut State's Attorney's Office in the Asset Forfeiture Division and on the domestic violence docket in Hartford Superior Court. She did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

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UPDATE: Calhoun Named in Sex-Discrimination Lawsuit