Cottey College

Three black women’s basketball players are suing a small southwest Missouri college, alleging they were treated differently than white players before they were kicked out of the school without justification.

The women, all from Kansas City, filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Cottey College, a women’s college of about 350 students in Nevada (nuh-VAY’-duh).

Breauna Carter, Amalia Harris and Dajanae Wilson received athletic and academic scholarships to the school for the 2015 school year. The lawsuit alleges that Stephanie Beason, athletic director and women’s basketball coach, punished them more severely than white players, ridiculed them and did not give them equal playing time.

They allege the college didn’t follow its written procedures before expelling them without warning in December 2015.

Cottey officials did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment.