STATE COLLEGE, PENN. (AP) – Lawyers in the federal discrimination lawsuit against Penn State women’s basketball coach Rene Portland were unable to reach a settlement during a court-ordered mediation session on May 15.

Former player Jennifer Harris contends in the suit that Portland discriminated against her because the longtime coach perceived her to be a lesbian. Harris says that she is not gay.

Portland has firmly denied the accusations.

“It was not successful; we are disappointed with the outcome,” women’s basketball spokesperson Erin Whiteside said about the all-day mediation session in Harrisburg. “This means that the case will continue to move forward.”

The trial is tentatively scheduled to start in May 2007.

“We are disappointed but completely undaunted, and will be moving forward with litigation,” said Karen Doering, a lawyer for the National Center for Lesbian Rights who is representing Harris.

Harris transferred to James Madison University last year. In court filings, Harris’ lawyers said that “believing Jennifer was a lesbian, Ms. Portland tried to force her to leave the team, humiliating, berating and ostracizing her.”

The lawsuit also named athletic director Tim Curley and the university as defendants.

Last month, Penn State released the results of an internal investigation against Portland, concluding that she violated school policies with alleged hostile treatment of Harris. The university fined Portland $10,000 and said she would be dismissed for any future violations.

Portland disagreed with that finding, called the school’s investigation flawed and maintained that Harris’ departure was purely related to basketball.

Harris, who is black, also alleged racial discrimination by Portland, who is white. The school said there was no evidence to support that accusation.

Portland has taken criticism in the past for comments regarding homosexuality. In 1986, she told the Chicago Sun-Times that she didn’t allow lesbians to play on her team. In a 1991 story in The Philadelphia Inquirer, several former players, recruits and colleagues of Portland said the coach did not tolerate homosexuality among her players.

More recently, several former players or people affiliated with the team have told various news outlets of conversations with Portland in which they alleged the coach made comments that indicated bias against lesbians.