Ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden sues NFL, Roger Goodell over leaked emails
By: Chris Bumbaca, Jarrett Bell and Mike Jones (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden filed a lawsuit against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday in Nevada, court records show.
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In a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, an attorney for Gruden said the complaint alleges that "the defendants selectively leaked Gruden's private correspondence to The Wall Street Journal and New York Times in order to harm Gruden's reputation and force him out of his job."
Gruden resigned as head coach of the Raiders after emails he sent over the previous decade, while he was employed by ESPN as the "Monday Night Football" analyst, became public last month. The emails were uncovered as part of the league's investigation into the Washington Football Team's alleged toxic workplace culture, which concluded over the summer and included no written report.
In the emails, Gruden used racist, misogynistic and homophobic language.
"There is no explanation or justification for why Gruden's emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL's investigation of the Washington Football Team or for why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders' season," said the statement from Adam Hosmer-Henner, listed as one of six active attorneys retained by Gruden on the filing through the Nevada-based firm McDonald Carano.
© Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports Ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports on Friday: "The allegations are entirely meritless, and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims."
The 21-page lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, claims the "defendants attempted to create a distraction from the controversy over their handling of the Washington Football Team investigation by misusing documents from that investigation to publicly sabotage Gruden's career" - first by leaking the email in which Gruden conjured a racist image to describe players' union executive director DeMaurice Smith, who is Black.
The lawsuit details the public opinion harm done to Gruden and notes his loss of $10 million annual salary and sponsorships (such as Skechers).
"Defendants weaponized a small subset (of emails) that were authored by Gruden prior to his hiring by the Raiders," the lawsuit says. "Defendants then purposefully leveraged these emails to cause the termination of Gruden's coaching contract, endorsements, and sponsorships."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden sues NFL, Roger Goodell over leaked emails
I should not have to say that this isn't a political issue...but no politics please...
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So a handful of "subset" emails were cherry picked out of 650,000 emails reviewed in a different NFL "investigation"
and someone leaked them.
Gruden had at least $60 million coming to him over the next 6years about $40 million with some guarantees which he already settled
with the Davis family for less ( obviously )
Now he is apparently seeking damages of $15 million for each of 7 infractions, $ 105 Million.
Only in the USA.
/S
Good, it is about time someone put little Napoleon in his place.
Goodell has single handedly wrecked the NFL.
I would love to see the report on the investigation of the Washington Football Team.
That's another issue. They honestly expect people to accept that there was no written report?
Incredible!
I hope Gruden gets every bit of it and also causes Goodell to be fired as NFL Commissioner
I hope his car breaks down in north vegas, on the way back from a full dress klan meeting, after his cell phone dies...
That would be bad for Goodell
So be a racist bigot and win millions of dollars.
Our society is fucked up.
On the large scale of things, is he a perfect person? Absolutely not.
But he has interacted with black athletes his entire life with no complaints from players or fellow coaches.
Our journey is long and filled with pitfalls and weak moments which should not define us permanently
unless your name is Kyle...but you think it's Rambo.
I have been to many Phillies tryouts and practices ( 40years ago )
never heard a spoken word of racism - but you know it was there and went both ways.
35 years later
One of my SILS was a coach on the Eagles and we attended many practice sessions.
I was mortified by the language and racism between the older and younger black players,
the open hostility between certain whites and blacks, but they managed to win a Super Bowl in spite of it.
We aren't perfect. I have certain friends who talk white to me and others in mixed company,
but not when they hang with the brothers.
Things don't improve over night but they are improving, slowly, steadily if not unevenly.
On the topic of John Gruden
In the grand scheme of things, he's a very likeable ass. He thinks he is funnier than he really is.
Whereas Pete Rose is just an unlikeable ass, but I digress...
Chuckie was a better than average coach on the large stage of the NFL
Worth 100 million? NFW to me, but he was to the Davis "family".
Is he damaged by a steady deliberate leak of emails he thought were private?
Absolutely, and I hope someone somewhere pays for their vile treachery.
Someone who apparently worked for Roger...
The NFL's latest numbers for 2019 were $15 Billion in revenue.
They can afford to settle out of court with Gruden.
There are much bigger monsters getting away with murder every day.
This is an interesting passage. I hope it is okay to ask for more elaboration. As always, I value your statements (of fact) and opinion. (Smile.)
Regardless of his past views or opinions, his privacy was violated and he is entitled to damages
Anyone who thinks Gruden is a racial bigot at heart, without ever meeting the man, has their head planted firmly up their ass.
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Insult 'kings' strikes again.
As for the topic, I will be consistent as a liberal to say I don't know the man or the 'situation' he finds himself in. I did see the 'breaking' announcement that he is seeking a day in court and for that I say more power to him. If he has been 'violated' then, he has a right to be heard, explain his side of the story, and get relief from his past employers.
Let the chips fall where they may! Removed for context, SP
Yawn .....
We don't get much in 'first person' points of view around these parts ("at heart or distanced), so why attempt to make it a requirement for Gruden? Curious.
Because.
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Surely you jest. [deleted]
then consistency DEMANDS you disapprove of its equivalent when in a statement by others. Context is everything in this world: For example, there is a distinction between. . . hot water and its furtherance, boiling water. . . . Cold water and ice water.
That is, it is critical to observe, degrees!
Lastly, you are remiss in ignoring those distinctions between private-sector and government sector. Distinctions matter!
[deleted personal]
[deleted off topic per the request of nothing political in red at the bottom of the seed]
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It is well known Antonio Brown used racial insults toward the Raiders General Manager and nothing was done to Brown for it
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AB did what he always does, deny, deny & apologize, call his lawyer, then deny some more.
Antonio Brown: Timeline of Patriots WR's lawsuits, legal problems (usatoday.com)
and as we know, he hasn't gotten any better since 2019.