Ex-Penn State fencer, university settle lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by longtime coach
A former Penn State fencer who alleged her renowned coach sexually harassed her for years while the university was aware but failed to take corrective action settled her lawsuit, according to a document filed Friday.
Terms of the settlement between four-time All-American Zara Moss, the university and now-retired Penn State fencing coach Wes Glon were not disclosed.
An attorney for Moss wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times that the matter was “resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.” Messages were left Monday with the university and Glon’s attorneys.
Moss accused Glon of verbally and psychologically abusing her throughout her entire four-year career at Penn State, which began in fall 2017. The team, she alleged, was a “hotbed for sexual assault and gender discrimination.”
She alleged the longtime coach disparaged her about her weight, hurled sex-based insults frequently and injured her when he forced her to fence him without any protective gear. An Olympic hopeful, Moss developed an eating disorder, required weekly therapy and prescription medications.
“They really failed me in the way that they treated my case,” Moss told the CDT in April 2022. “It felt like I was betrayed by a family member or a best friend, somebody that I’ve known and cared about for my whole life.”
Glon’s alleged conduct “crossed the line between aggressive coaching and sexual harassment,” U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann wrote in an August 2023 ruling that allowed Moss’ lawsuit to move forward. He also wrote that Glon’s action were “certainly unbecoming of a collegiate athletic professional.”
In court filings, Penn State denied allegations it failed to act after receiving formal complaints about Glon’s behavior. The university completed a full investigation and offered to review its results with Moss, but she declined.
Glon was placed on probation for six months before he retired in April 2023, closing out a career that included 37 years as an assistant or head coach for the men’s and women’s programs. Penn State announced the move in a news release that did not include statements from Glon or Athletic Director Pat Kraft.
Glon helped lead the Nittany Lions to 13 combined national team titles. As head coach, the Poland native produced 50 All-Americans and a half-dozen individual national titles. He also coached numerous U.S. national teams, including in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 1:36 PM.