Judge Rules Against NBA in Sexism Lawsuit

A basketball.
A basketball. Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

On Friday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lucy Billings presented a 17-page decision regarding the NBA and an instance of sexism in the workplace.

The case, as reported by the New York Daily News, involves former NBA security director Warren Glover, who says he was fired from the organization for whistle-blowing about sexism in the workplace. According to Glover’s case, NBA rookies were shown offensive pictures of women at an orientation session — one such image showed a heavier woman naked on top of a man with the caption “Reason Not to Get Drunk.” Over the league’s objections, Judge Billings made the images public. 

Glover was fired from his job after ten years at the NBA for “supporting female NBA employees who complained about harassment — and then testifying on behalf of former NBA worker Annette Smith,” the case alleges. Billings said in her decision in court on Friday, “The photographs … both demean women and represent a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny.” According to the New York Daily News, Glover’s lawyers will go to court next Thursday “to request summary judgement — a declaration of victory without a trial.”

[Update 4/29/16]: NBA spokesman Mike Bass provided the following statement regarding the case: “The photos obtained from court files today are a decade old and part of contested litigation related to alleged conduct involving employees who no longer work at the NBA.  These claims from years ago are without merit and do not accurately reflect the NBA’s inclusive and respectful culture, and we will continue to vigorously defend against them.”

Judge Rules Against NBA in Sexism Lawsuit