Isiah Thomas Settles Sex-Harass Suit
A settlement in an undisclosed amount was reached today by Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas with a former female team executive in a sexual harassment and retaliation case. One apparent impetus for the pact: additional compensatory damages beyond the $11.6 million in punitives previously awarded to Anucha Browne Sanders were anticipated.
“The deal came as Browne Sanders was preparing to return to U.S. District Court in Manhattan” where her description of her “ordeal with the Knicks … exposed the club’s tawdry side, from its dysfunctional clubhouse to its star player’s sexual exploits with a team intern,” reports the Associated Press.
Thomas proclaimed his innocence today, and MSG declared in a statement that the case is a “travesty of justice.” But both agreed that the settlement was the best resolution for the good of the game.
As discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, a federal jury several months ago found both Thomas and MSG liable in the harassment case. However, it couldn’t agree on what damages to assess against Thomas, so that issue was still before the court.
Sanders says she is ”extremely pleased” to have reached a settlement.
