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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, July 9, 2009

Colleges: Woman sues, says N.Y. school used her as 'plaything'


Associated Press

NEW YORK — A fundraiser at an upstate New York university says senior athletic department officials tried to use her as a sexual "plaything" to ply big donors.

Elizabeth Williams has sued Binghamton University and the two officials in federal court in Manhattan. She's using the lawyer who won a highly publicized sexual harassment case against former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas.

Williams claims the university officials subjected her to a pattern of harassment beginning when she was hired late last year. She says after they told her to dress provocatively for a fundraising dinner in New York City, a donor asked how much money it would cost to have sex with her.

A telephone message left Thursday with Williams' attorney, Anne Vladeck, hasn't been returned.

A spokeswoman for the 15,000-student university had no immediate comment.