Rene Portland always told her team to defend its home court, and so yesterday, she walked into the Bryce Jordan Center -- the Penn State arena that doubles, for her, as a state of mind -- and spoke of her will to "return as head coach of the Lady Lions next year."

	Pat Little, Associated Press Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland adresses the news media at a press conference yesterday. Click photo for larger image.

She never mentioned by name the former player -- Jennifer Harris -- whose claim threatened that will. Ms. Harris said, as others have, that Ms. Portland, 53, fostered an environment hostile to lesbians or players she perceived as lesbians.

Yesterday, Penn State concluded its half-year internal investigation into that issue with both an affirmation -- Ms. Portland discriminated against Ms. Harris, the university stated -- and a series of penalties for its women's basketball coach.

For violating Penn State's anti-discrimination policy, Ms. Portland must pay a $10,000 fine and participate in diversity training. A written reprimand will permanently occupy her personnel file. The investigation concluded that Ms. Portland created a "hostile, intimidating, and offensive environment" for Ms. Harris, who has since transferred to James Madison University and has said Ms. Portland falsely believed her to be a lesbian.

Ms. Harris, who is black, filed a federal lawsuit in December in which she said Ms. Portland, who is white, also discriminated against her because of her race. The school found no evidence that Ms. Portland discriminated against Ms. Harris on the basis of race.

The investigation complete, Ms. Portland defended herself yesterday afternoon, speaking to an assemblage of media members inside the arena where she'd fashioned her reputation. She called Ms. Harris' claims "unfounded." She emphasized that Penn State had rejected claims of racial discrimination. The findings of sexual discrimination, she said, "were flawed." She read a written statement, taking no questions.

"With respect to the administrative decision's conclusions relating to claims involving alleged sexual orientation, I believe the process that was used to reach these conclusions was flawed," Ms. Portland said. "I believe that the process failed to fairly consider and weigh all of the relevant information provided or which could have been provided. I want to state that it has always been my belief that all actions taken with respect to the player bringing claims against me were basketball-related and basketball-related only and were not based on sexual orientation, actual or perceived."

Ms. Portland, entering her 27^th season, must deal with several new procedures for her program, added because of the investigation's findings. For the next three years, a member of the school's affirmative action office will participate in interviews with departing players. All incoming players will participate in training sessions aimed to inform them of Penn State's discrimination policies and means for filing complaints.

Originally, the investigation -- conducted by Kenneth Lehrman, Penn State's director of affirmative action -- suggested a one-game suspension for Ms. Portland. School president Graham Spanier, though, swapped that punishment for the $10,000 fine, feeling it "necessary to have a sanction that was more immediate," a Penn State statement said.

Mr. Spanier, out of town yesterday, was unavailable for comment. Athletic director Tim Curley, also out of town, was unable to comment, his secretary said.

"I'll just say, it was a long investigation," Mr. Lehrman said. "It was thorough, and I feel it was complete."

In 2004-05, Ms. Harris's sophomore year, Ms. Portland repeatedly questioned the player about her sexual orientation, according to documents issued by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, representing Ms. Harris. Ms. Portland asked teammates not to associate with Ms. Harris, and encouragedher to dress in a more feminine style, the complaint said. During the first half of the season, the guard ranked among Penn State's most consistent scorers. Then, in February, her production withered -- as did her playing time. Ms. Portland sent Ms. Harris to the bench.

The NCLR, in October, sent a letter to Mr. Spanier accusing Ms. Portland of discrimination and asking it to stop. Ms. Portland had been quoted in a 1986 Chicago Sun-Times article about a team policy banning alcohol, drugs and lesbians. "I will not have it in my program," she said of homosexuality. Five years later, after continued protests and complaints about Ms. Portland, Penn State altered its discrimination policy to include sexual orientation. And roughly 15 years after that, the school, as it reported yesterday, found Ms. Portland in violation of AD-42, the exact clause it once made partly because of her.

"I think that it's great that Jennifer has now been vindicated," said Karen Doering, the NCLR lawyer for Ms. Harris. "She has said all along she was discriminated on based on her perceived sexual orientation, and [Penn State] found that as well. I think that's great. I think it's also great that Penn State is going to make some policy changes, and hopefully make some things better for people...

"But I don't think that will be accomplished with Rene still there given the type of comments we heard from her today. Given Rene's response to the investigation -- still absolute denial; lack of any sort of acknowledgment that her behavior needs to change -- that tells me that things are not likely to get better."