Former Knicks exec sues Isiah Thomas for sexual harassment

[ALinChainz]

January 25, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Knicks team president Isiah Thomas is accused of sexual harassment and discrimination by one of the team's former front-office employees in a federal lawsuit.

Anucha Browne Sanders claims Thomas made unwanted sexual advances toward her and refused to stop, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Thomas and Madison Square Garden are listed as the defendants in the lawsuit, which charges them with sex discrimination and retaliation.

According to the lawsuit, the 43-year-old Browne Sanders sought assistance from her supervisor, Steve Mills, the president of Madison Square Garden Sports, but said Mills didn't do anything about the situation.

Browne Sanders, who had been with the team since 2000, claims she was fired as the Knicks' senior vice president of marketing and business operations last week as a result of her complaints.

The lawsuit also alleges that Thomas told Browne Sanders he was pushing for more home games at noon on Sundays. His plan, according to Browne Sanders, was to have opposing players go to certain clubs, including strip clubs, that Thomas had connections with on Saturday nights and get them drunk so they would be sluggish for the game the next day.

Ron Green, a lawyer for Madison Square Garden, told the New York Times that the lawsuit is "fabricated and outrageous." He said in a story for Wednesday's editions that Browne Sanders was fired "because of an inability to fulfill professional responsibilities," and said she is seeking "a financial windfall."

Lawyers for Thomas, Peter Parcher and Sue Ellen Eisenberg, called the lawsuit an attempt to make money and accused her of demanding $6 million upon her departure, more than 20 times her salary.

Browne Sanders said the problems began shortly after Thomas joined the Knicks in December 2003, and she repeatedly complained to management about his inappropriate behavior.

In court documents, Browne Sanders said Thomas often berated her, and made crude comments about her to Knicks officials, telling them not to listen to any of her directions. Point guard Stephon Marbury also is accused of acting in a hostile way toward her as a result.

Browne Sanders said Thomas' behavior soon became sexually charged, saying he told her he was "very attracted" to her and "in love" with her and tried to kiss her. She charges that last month, he hugged and tried to kiss her, and when she pulled away, he said, "What, I can't get any love from you today?"

Browne Sanders said she met with a human resources management consultant hired by MSG twice last year, and told the consultant about Thomas' conduct. After Browne Sanders sought legal counsel last November, MSG launched its own investigation but told her to not come to work for three weeks. She was fired last Thursday when MSG said her claims couldn't be substantiated.

Browne Sanders, the team's chief marketing officer, graduated from Northwestern as the Big Ten's women career scoring leader and was a two-time conference player of the year. She was the school's athlete of the decade for the 1980s.

According to the team's media guide, Browne Sanders is married with three children, and resides in New Jersey.


Story (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AmVUK_QUNz7VEjF3NYcpkrg5nYcB?slug=ap-knicks-thomasharassmentsuit&prov=ap&type=lgns)

[ALinChainz]

By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer

January 26, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Isiah Thomas didn't wait for his day in court to start defending himself against a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Ignoring legal advice to keep quiet, the New York Knicks president spoke publicly Wednesday about the lawsuit brought against him by a recently fired team executive who said he engaged in "demeaning and repulsive behavior" that team executives refused to address.


The suit was filed in federal court Tuesday by Anucha Browne Sanders, the Knicks' former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, and Thomas made clear what he thinks is the motive behind it.

"I will not allow her or anybody, man or woman, to use me as a pawn for their financial gain," he said.

Thomas said he was ignoring his lawyers' advice to stay mum.

"It is not their name, it's not their family, it's not their career and it's not their reputation that's being hurt," he said.

Browne Sanders was fired last Thursday. She said her problems with Thomas began soon after he was hired in 2003, and decided she finally had to act when she felt she was being ignored by her bosses at Madison Square Garden.

"My pleas and complaints about Mr. Thomas' illegal and offensive actions fell on deaf ears," she said Wednesday at a news conference at her lawyer's office. "He refused to stop his demeaning and repulsive behavior and the Garden refused to intercede."

Her supervisor, MSG Sports president Steve Mills, joined Thomas in thinking the suit was financially motivated.

"I am appalled by Anucha Browne Sanders' outrageous allegations," Mills said. "And I was stunned to learn that while she was still working for Madison Square Garden, she demanded $6.5 million to leave quietly."

Thomas and Madison Square Garden are listed as the defendants in the lawsuit, which charges them with sex discrimination and retaliation. Madison Square Garden said Browne Sanders was fired because she "failed to fulfill professional responsibilities."

"I was warned that Mr. Thomas and the Garden would launch a campaign to smear me, and I am not surprised, nor will I be, at any false and vicious accusations that they may spread about me and my family," Browne Sanders said. "This is all a diversion. In court, they will have no choice but to deal with the real issues of my complaint."

The 43-year-old former Northwestern basketball star, who described herself as the Knicks' second-highest ranking executive, is seeking reinstatement to her job and unspecified damages. She said she was fired last Thursday "for telling the truth" while going through internal channels to stop the harassment.

According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court, Thomas refused to stop making unwanted sexual advances toward her, used offensive language and turned others in the organization against her.

Asked about the suggestion that she had demanded the money, one of her lawyers, Kevin Mintzer said: "How do you put a price on Ms. Browne Sanders' career? She was the second-highest individual in the Knicks organizations, and one of the most senior African-American women in all of professional sports. I don't know how you put a price on that."

When Browne Sanders sought legal counsel last November, MSG launched its own investigation but told her to not come to work for three weeks. She was fired last Thursday when MSG said her claims couldn't be substantiated.

"They weren't sincerely interested in finding out what happened, they just wanted to punish her," Mintzer said.

He said a settlement is always a possibility, but if none is reached, depositions will begin with the intent to go to trial.

Players were quick to support Thomas at a Wednesday morning shootaround.

"I know Isiah and I know he's an honorable man," Stephon Marbury said. "I know that he's a guy filled with a lot of character, so I think everyone here is on his side."

The lawsuit also alleges that Thomas told Browne Sanders he was pushing for more Sunday home games at noon so he could steer opposing players to clubs where he had connections on Saturday nights, hoping they would be sluggish the next day.

"These fabricated and outrageous charges come from an individual whom MSG fired because of an inability to fulfill professional responsibilities and who is now seeking a financial windfall," Madison Square Garden attorney Ron Green said in a statement.

The Knicks would not comment further.

"I've known him since I tried to recruit him in high school and he's a phenomenal human being," coach Larry Brown said of Thomas. "And the Knicks have always treated me well, so I guess I'll let it play itself out."

In court documents, Browne Sanders said Thomas often berated her and made crude comments about her to Knicks officials, telling them not to listen to any of her directions. Marbury also is accused of acting in a hostile way toward her as a result.

Browne Sanders said Thomas' behavior soon became sexually charged, saying he told her he was "very attracted" to her and "in love" with her and tried to kiss her. She charges that last month, he hugged and tried to kiss her, and when she pulled away, he said, "What, I can't get any love from you today?"

Browne Sanders graduated from Northwestern as the Big Ten's women's career scoring leader and was a two-time conference player of the year. She was the school's athlete of the decade for the 1980s.

According to the team's media guide, Browne Sanders is married with three children, and resides in New Jersey.

AP sports writers Melissa Murphy and Ronald Blum contributed to this report.


AP Story (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Au5hmE5R3aKN5PmcvTnx4pg5nYcB?slug=ap-knicks-thomasharassmentsuit&prov=ap&type=lgns)

[BITEYOASS]

Fuckin bitch is just trying to get money off of Thomas!

[monkeythe]

As a New Yorker, I say fuck Cablevision and I hope she takes them for millions. When it comes to any situation, Cablevision has always been in the wrong but they have a monopoly and have fucked NYers over for too many years.