Madison Square Garden of Discrimination
Last week a New York Knicks coach Isaiah Thomas was found liable for sexual harassment against a former colleague. The jury awarded $11,000,000.00 in damages against the team's owner and its chairman.
Madison Square Garden, which owns the Knicks, and MSG president James Dolan were ordered to pay the amount to Browne Sanders for allowing her to work in an actionable hostile environment. Ms. Sanders filed her lawsuit in January 2006, alleging that management failed to act despite her repeated complaints against Thomas' behavior. When Browne Sanders threatened to sue, the company suspended her and then fired her when her accusations were deemed groundless.
Following the verdict, Thomas insisted he was innocent, stating "I want to say it as loud as I possibly can. I'm innocent. I'm very innocent. . . . I'm extremely disappointed that the jury could not see the facts ... and I will appeal." The problem for Thomas and the Company, of course, was what Thomas had previously stated during his sworn deposition. Here is a clip:
I am assuming that Thomas is talking about different "facts" that the jury was not able to see.