Parents of Delaware State lacrosse players allege abuse by coaches, negligence

After the Delaware State women’s lacrosse team lost a close 14-10 decision to Fairleigh Dickinson, the players reportedly paid a painful price for it.

Following the March 16 match, DSU players, according to Lacrosse Extras, endured alleged punishment.

“To punish players, the coaches forced them to roll up and down the field during a subsequent practice, video shows.”

Three parents spoke with Lacrosse Extras on the condition of anonymity, alleging abuse by former head coach Pamella Jenkins and assistant coach Jovan Estrada and negligence from Delaware State athletic director Alecia Shields-Gadson.

“Coach Estrada, under the eye of Pam Jenkins, allowed a random ‘friend’ of his to come to practice and ‘punish’ the girls,” one parent said. “These were the words used by the unknown party and the coaches themselves. What resulted was physical and verbal abuse over the course of the next 90+ minutes.”

Parents claimed they reached out to the Delaware State administration and initially received pushback.

“When the school was notified about this (and the fact that a video was made), they tried to first over-talk it, saying such things are allowed,” another anonymous parent said. “When pressed further and told the individual present had no attachment, clearance, or allowance to the program, they flinched. When told that Pam [Jenkins] was present, they immediately went into damage-control mode.”

As a result, Estrada was fired and Jenkins was placed on leave, which lasted for the remainder of the season. The Delaware State women’s lacrosse team finished the 2024 season 2-13 overall and 2-8 in their first season in the Northeast Conference.

Jenkins eventually would be dismissed as well, but parents allege that “housecleaning” is taking place with current players. They say the school’s athletics director “proceeded to change scholarship allotments for many of the players—unannounced to them, and part ways.”

“The AD (Shields-Gadson) is trying to clean house with all the current players and start over from scratch and take away current players’ scholarships, which is absurd,” another parent said, adding that Shields-Gadson is “trying to blame the girls for what happened this season.”

As of Friday, the women’s lacrosse head coach position is listed as “to be announced” on the Delaware State athletics website.