ISIAH THOMAS FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

[clevfan]

ISIAH THOMAS FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Associated Press


October 2, 2007 -- A jury ruled Tuesday that New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas sexually harassed a top team executive, subjecting the married mother of three to unwanted advances and a barrage of verbal insults.
The jury also found that Madison Square Garden committed harassment against the woman, and ruled that MSG should have to pay her punitive damages. The same jury will now begin deciding the amount of damages.

The harassment verdict was widely expected after the jury sent a note to the judge Monday indicating that it believed Thomas and the other defendants, Madison Square Garden and MSG Chairman James Dolan, sexually harassed plaintiff Anucha Browne Sanders.

[Louis Cypher]

She only got $11.6 million...what a bargain.

LC

[Louis Cypher]

Jury Awards $11.6 Million in Knicks Case

Oct 2 02:04 PM US/Eastern
By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal jury decided Madison Square Garden and its chairman must pay $11.6 million in damages to former New York Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders in her sexual harassment lawsuit.

The jury, which decided MSG had committed harassment against Browne Sanders, found that the Garden owes $6 million for allowing a hostile work environment to exist and $2.6 million for retaliation. MSG chairman James Dolan owes $3 million.

The Garden said it would appeal.

A verdict earlier Tuesday found that Knicks coach Isiah Thomas subjected Browne Sanders to unwanted advances and a barrage of verbal insults, but that he did not have to pay punitive damages.

After an ugly, three-week trial, that verdict gave Thomas a partial victory in the $10 million lawsuit.

"I'm innocent, I'm very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing," Thomas said. "I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case. I will appeal this, and I remain confident in the man that I am and what I stand for and the family that I have."

After the verdict, Browne Sanders hugged family members and friends gathered in the back of the courtroom.

U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch called it an "eminently reasonable" verdict, and gave the jurors instructions on how to proceed. Before the jury resumed deliberations, attorneys from both sides appealed to the jurors.

Browne Sanders' lawyer, Anne Vladeck, had urged the jury to afix damages that sent a message "to avoid this happening to somebody else." She said the defendants had ruined her client's career, and she called Dolan a liar.

Thomas's lawyer, Ronald Green, told jurors they had already sent "a very clear, very strong and very forceful message.

"Punishment for the sake of punishment is not what this is all about," he said.

The harassment verdict was widely expected after the jury sent a note to the judge Monday indicating that it believed Thomas, the Garden and Dolan sexually harassed Browne Sanders, a married mother of three.

"We believe that the jury's decision was incorrect," MSG said in a statement before punitive damages were awarded. "We look forward to presenting our arguments to an appeals court, and believe they will agree that no sexual harassment took place and MSG acted properly."

[buffbetonsports]

How do they arrive at such a staggering amt?
People loose fingers, hands, and legs in PI cases and don't walk with this kinda loot??

I know how she must feel though
Creeps me out when women undress me with their eyes much less tell me how much they want in my pants...
makes me feel all dirty

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Doesn't this reek of bullshit?

What the hell could he have done to garner $10.6 Mill? That's crazy.

[Bostongambler]

I would of complied to all his demands for 10.6 Mill.

[SlipperyPete]

Originally Posted by buffbetonsports

I know how she must feel though
Creeps me out when women undress me with their eyes much less tell me how much they want in my pants...
makes me feel all dirty

I wish I had that problem. Actually my favorite ice breaker in bars is " Hey I noticed you not noticing me"

Second most favorite is "Lets plays carpenter. First we get hammered than I nail ya"

[WrongSideWarrior]

Couldn't of happened to a bigger piece of shit that Thomas. Prolly number one on my most hated athletes list.

[Dell Dude]

OH, ISIAH!

[Bitter Bruin]

How does this piece of crap still have a job? In the real world this guy is long since fired for some of the stuff he allegedly said. And, given his track record, I am sure he said it.

[WrongSideWarrior]

This bitch made me sick with her fucking speech. Nothing but a money grubbing whore IMO...

They should take her and Isiah and stick them on the same island to never be heard from again.

[Minnow]

She could damn near buy an island now

[WrongSideWarrior]

Originally Posted by Minnow

She could damn near buy an island now

I know it is a fucking shame. Her speech made me want to puke saying she did it for all the other working class people. Never heard such shit in my life.

[stevo]

The Knicks Mess
In the wake of the $11.6 million jury award in the sexual harassment case against against Madison Square Garden executives and Knicks Coach Isiah Thomas, what stood out to me was the fact that the defendants went way past just being pinheaded.
By Alan L. Rupe

n the wake of the $11.6 million jury award (with the potential for $9.6 million more in compensatory damages), commentators have flooded print and the airwaves with discussions of the offensiveness and ham-handedness of Madison Square Garden executives and New York Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas toward former Knicks senior vice president (and now plaintiff) Anucha Browne Sanders.

Here’s what stood out to me as I watched the newscasts and read more about the case: the defendants went way past just being pinheaded, as you will soon see. Here’s how it all began:

Browne Sanders filed suit against CEO James Dolan, Thomas and executives of Madison Square Garden, claiming she was discriminated against and forced to work in a sexually hostile work environment, and then was fired in retaliation for making a complaint.

On December 22, 2005, the plaintiff’s attorney met with the attorney for Madison Square Garden, and told for the first time of Browne Sanders’ complaint of sexual harassment. The attorneys agreed to "attempt to expedite a negotiated, good faith resolution" of Browne Sanders’ claims.

At one point, Browne Sanders offered to settle her claim for $6 million, which was more than 20 years of front-pay compensation. According to court documents, she threatened to go public with a lawsuit to "teach Madison Square Garden a lesson" if she did not receive "money, lots of money." Madison Square Garden also began an internal investigation conducted by a company vice president and an in-house attorney for Madison Square Garden’s parent company.

The investigation summary was completed on January 13, and on January 19, Madison Square Garden’s general counsel prepared a memorandum recommending that Thomas receive sensitivity training since he had occasionally used profanity and raised his voice in the workplace and, on one occasion, greeted Browne Sanders with a hug and kiss. The in-house investigators also found that most of Browne Sanders’ allegations were not confirmed, but that she had exhibited a "poor relationship and difficulty interacting with members of Madison Square Garden management." Browne Sanders was fired that same day.

By the time of trial, there was little doubt there was sexual harassment by Knicks and Madison Square Garden employees and management.

Obviously, comments by Thomas to Browne Sanders about her physical appearance (she was "beautiful" and "easy on the eyes") and putting his arm around her arm and attempting to kiss her on the cheek were offensive and were perceived by Browne Sanders as harassment. Thomas was also accused of "screaming" at Browne Sanders on several occasions and referred to her in sexist and demeaning terms.

Those of us who have handled dozens of sex harassment cases over the years with allegations that would make Brittney Spears blush know that the Madison Square Garden case is pretty much a garden-variety claim of sexual harassment (no offense to Ms. Browne Sanders). Juries generally decide these types of claims with a generous award of compensatory damages for lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, lost benefits and attorney fees.

It has been my experience that juries seem somewhat reluctant to award a huge amount of punitive damages if the defendant’s conduct is not egregious, does not take place over a long period of time and has stopped. But in this case, the jury came back with a prodigious punitive damage award, and the potential for more compensation to Ms. Browne Sanders. What is different about this case?

Well, on the social monitor of appropriate behavior, Dolan’s behavior tipped the needle all the way to "stupid." If stupidity could be converted to energy, Madison Square Garden would not have to pay its electric bill for a long, long time. But while stupidity does not create fuel, it does create fools. Consider the following:

I’ve looked at portions of Dolan’s videotape deposition posted on the Web. (The videotape deposition was also projected on a larger-than-life screen for the jury at the trial.) It is hard to imagine Dolan as corporate leader of one of the world’s most-recognized entertainment conglomerates after seeing him slumped in his chair, wearing a collarless black shirt, and testifying in what seems to be an extremely offhanded way.

Dolan looked more like the high school sophomore sitting in the principal’s office than a CEO testifying in an important lawsuit. His trial testimony also seemed indifferent; he testified he had not read Browne Sanders’ performance evaluations nor did he require Thomas to attend sensitivity training. Dolan testified: "When the lawsuit came, that was about as much sensitivity training as he’d ever want."

None of these events can be counted as a high point in Madison Square Garden’s 128-year history, but Dolan’s conduct, appearance and testimony at trial certainly may become notorious for a new low. As chairman of that august landmark, Dolan is in a leadership role at Madison Square Garden, responsible for the company’s overall growth strategy, and oversees its day-to-day operations. At his deposition, Dolan testified:

Q. Who made the decision to have Ms. Browne Sanders’ employment be terminated by the Garden?
A. I did.

Q. Did you make it on your own or was it with others, consultation or something else?
A. Well, all decisions at the Garden I make on my own.

Dolan testified he did not consult with corporate counsel, talk to Browne Sanders’ supervisor or read the report of the in-house investigation.

Anyone who has ever been a defendant in an employment discrimination case, every HR professional and every employment lawyer could have told Dolan his solitary decision was really, really dumb.

Consider Title VII and its prohibition against retaliation. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits intentional discrimination based on gender and other protected categories. Similarly, employees may not be retaliated against if they complain of harassment or discrimination. And if it is just one person who makes the decision to terminate a complainer, the plaintiff’s burden of proving intentional discrimination becomes pretty easy, especially if the decision-maker behaves like Mr. Dolan.

When more than one person makes the decision to fire an employee, the occurrence of (and proof of) intentional/unlawful conduct is not quite so easy. We teach employers to make important decisions, such as job action against an employee who has complained about discrimination, in a collective, shared-responsibility forum.

It doesn’t take a legal expert to know that when it comes to decision-making, two heads are better than one. A small group consisting of corporate counsel, a supervisor with a long-standing knowledge of the complainant, a human resources professional and key management is a committee formula that works when important personnel decisions become necessary in the context of complaints of discrimination and possible litigation.

A small group like that has the advantage of a rational, dispassionate review of the events and documents with an unemotional, logical result, compared with a reactive "fire away" of the single "Type A" decision-maker. One of the biggest changes I have noticed in my 33 years of experience in employment law is that employees seek legal advice long before their employers come to the realization they are about to be sued. Most employers today give their business the same advantage that employees have by advance planning and prudent strategic consultation. But not Madison Square Garden.

In the Browne Sanders case, it appears that she knew more about the laws of discrimination and retaliation than Dolan at the time of his decision to fire her. Maybe I have it all wrong: Dolan may have been advised well, but simply ignored the guidance. Take my advice, Mr. Dolan: Listen to others from time to time. Get some value from your lawyers, who probably—rightly, as it turns out—told you that you could be personally sued if you fired Browne Sanders.

Sexual harassment cases are most generally he said/she said cases, and juries often decide on the basis of the witnesses’ credibility. When faced with the plaintiff’s and defendant’s opposing views of reality, juries are often swayed by a witness’s demeanor, dress and respect for the legal system.

Trial is not the time to head-butt the plaintiff and it is the lawyers’ responsibility to make sure the client is prepared and aware of the jury’s sense of justice and fairness. The best time to win a sexual harassment and retaliation case is at the beginning, not the end. A non-hostile environment and collective carefree and dispassionate decision-making wins sex harassment and retaliation cases before they ever get started.

Workforce Management Online, November 2007 -- Register Now!

[Uncle B]

Dolan looked more like the high school sophomore sitting in the principal’s office than a CEO testifying in an important lawsuit. His trial testimony also seemed indifferent; he testified he had not read Browne Sanders’ performance evaluations nor did he require Thomas to attend sensitivity training. Dolan testified: "When the lawsuit came, that was about as much sensitivity training as he’d ever want."

None of these events can be counted as a high point in Madison Square Garden’s 128-year history, but Dolan’s conduct, appearance and testimony at trial certainly may become notorious for a new low. As chairman of that august landmark, Dolan is in a leadership role at Madison Square Garden, responsible for the company’s overall growth strategy, and oversees its day-to-day operations. At his deposition, Dolan testified:

Q. Who made the decision to have Ms. Browne Sanders’ employment be terminated by the Garden?
A. I did.

Q. Did you make it on your own or was it with others, consultation or something else?
A. Well, all decisions at the Garden I make on my own.

Dolan testified he did not consult with corporate counsel, talk to Browne Sanders’ supervisor or read the report of the in-house investigation.

fuckin idiots.... how can anyone feel sorry for this moron, or any of the asshats involved?

[clevfan]

ANUCHA SLAM-DUNKS GARDEN FOR $11.5M IN KNICK SUIT

By KATI CORNELL

NY POST

December 11, 2007 -- Anucha Browne Sanders has 11.5 million reasons to smile - Madison Square Garden yesterday settled her sensational sexual-harassment suit against it and Knick coach Isiah Thomas for $11.5 million.
MSG and Chairman James Dolan, under pressure from the NBA, agreed to the whopping payday for the former team executive two months after the trial, sources familiar with the negotiations said.

A Manhattan federal court jury in October had awarded Sanders a stunning $11.6 million in punitive damages - a figure that was expected to grow as the case went into the additional-damages phase this week.

"I am extremely pleased that we have reached a settlement," Sanders said in a written statement.

"The jury's verdict in this case sent a powerful and enduring message that harassment and retaliation at [MSG] will not be tolerated."

In her suit, Sanders claimed that Thomas verbally abused her and then professed love for her.

Judge Gerard Lynch was to hear arguments Thursday on whether she should also receive $4 million for legal fees and compensatory damages, sources said.

The Garden and Dolan also had repeatedly vowed to appeal, which could have prevented Sanders from cashing in indefinitely - but with yesterday's settlement, they gave up that right.

"We don't feel any less strongly than we did throughout the entire episode. The outcome was a travesty of justice, and we vehemently disagree with the jury's decision," the Garden said in a press release.

"However, at the strong request of [NBA] Commissioner [David] Stern and in the interest of focusing on basketball, we can all agree that it is time for us to move on and put this issue behind us."

The settlement may spare MSG millions, but it's too late to stop the public embarrassment of the trial, in which jurors heard that Thomas allegedly peppered practically every sentence with the word "bitch" and held racist views against whites.

Sanders claims she was fired after she complained about Thomas' offensive behavior and that of other Garden employees, including star guard Stephon Marbury.

"As I have said before, I am completely innocent. This decision doesn't change that. However, this is the best course for Madison Square Garden, and I fully support it," Thomas said at a press conference, refusing to comment further.

[stevo]

siah Thomas, Madison Square Garden Settle Sexual Harassment Suit
Posted Dec 11th 2007 8:00AM by Cheryl Thompson
Filed under: Casually Obsessed
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, AP

NEW YORK (AP) - Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas reached an $11.5 million (7.8 million) settlement of the sexual harassment case brought by a former team executive.

The deal came on Monday as Anucha Browne Sanders was preparing to return to U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where her description of her ordeal with the Knicks exposed the NBA club's tawdry side, from its dysfunctional clubhouse to its star player's sexual exploits with an intern.

A jury awarded her $11.6 million in punitive damages. This deal replaces that.

"I am extremely pleased that we have reached a settlement," Browne Sanders said in a statement. "The jury's verdict in this case sent a powerful and enduring message that harassment and retaliation at Madison Square Garden will not be tolerated. ... It has been a long journey, but I believe that justice has been done."




The case was supposed to resume this week before U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch, who was set to decide how much Browne Sanders was owed in compensatory damages, a payout that usually involves lost wages and future loss of income. The Knicks also faced the possibility they might be ordered to pay what was likely to be millions of dollars (euros) in legal fees.

By settling, the Knicks avoided paying her legal fees, while Browne Sanders gets her money faster and avoids the possibility of having her award reduced on appeal.

Although Browne Sanders had demanded the right to resume working for the Knicks, one of her lawyers, Kevin Mintzer, said she will continue working at the University at Buffalo as an associate athletic director and senior woman administrator.

"As I have said before, I am completely innocent," Thomas said. "This decision doesn't change that. However, this is the best course for Madison Square Garden, and I fully support it."

Because the jury was unable to reach a verdict on one of the accusations against Thomas, the possibility of another trial loomed. It would have brought with it another wave of negative publicity about the team and the off-court escapades that made the first trial a feeding frenzy for those interested in the inner workings of one of the NBA's most storied franchises.

"We don't feel any less strongly than we did throughout the entire episode," MSG said in a statement. "The outcome was a travesty of justice, and we vehemently disagree with the jury's decision, however, at the strong request of (the NBA commissioner) and in the interest of focusing on basketball, we can all agree that it is time for us to move on and put this issue behind us."


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