By LARRY NEUMEISTER, APNEW 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."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Comments: (19)
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By: Jemy777 on 12/11/2007 9:28AM
It was said this guy just enjoyed hot dating with a white girl on http://www.interracialsingleonline.com so man fans show so much interesting to him there? i may go to check it...
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By: Margie on 12/19/2007 2:37PM
I'm glad this sister got her just due....got paid. I don't know why a lot of atheletes think they can verbally abuse women and get away with it.
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By: Roosevelt Williams on 12/11/2007 2:32PM
I have always liked Isiah and he can't do no wrong as far as I'm concern.
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By: PSmurf on 12/11/2007 6:41PM
Come on!! I believe Isiah...Dude, he could do better than her if to be blamed for harrassing some chick. As popular as he is and as many waaaaay more attractive woman out there. She probably wanted to move up in the executive ranks, made some sexual suggestions to him thinking it would persuad him in helping her move up and he rudely turned her down making her feel less than a woman. So, she got revenge on him in the way that could never be proven otherwise. Just like any other unfortunate case against many men by wowmen of false accusations of sexual harrassment in work places.
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By: Jimmy Jam on 12/11/2007 4:33PM
Now thats done the next priority is to FIRE this FOOL
His inability to coach let alone LEAD, he can't do
either, and Marburytoo has to go his ATTITUDE, lack of
COURT, and COURT SENSE are just two ofd the reasons
he needs to HANG it up with the KNICKS. the team would be better off without either one.
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By: LEROY TOMBA on 12/11/2007 6:19PM
GOOD THING THE FEMALE WAS """BLACK"""
OTHERWISE THIS SITE WOULD BE FILLED
WITH "IT'S THE WHITE JUSTICE SYSTEM"
"SHE MUST BE A RACIST"
"SHE'S A LIAR ANYONE CAN TELL"
YOU KNOW THE DRILL---BUT I SEE THERE'S NOT
MUCH BEING SAID ABOUT THIS CREEP.
"IT'S ALWAYS A "ONE SIDED THING WITH BLACKS"
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By: LEROY TOMBA on 12/11/2007 6:22PM
WELL AT LEAST "BLACK WOMEN" WILL BE HAPPY FOR HER
"PAY DAY"
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By: Realbrother on 12/11/2007 8:05PM
Real Brother here.
I think its obvious that this former Basketball Player and ultra masculine woman is GAY and that she intends to use the money from the Knicks to further vilify, deomonize and emasculate Black men. Its like how the Rutgers Basketball team and coach used the Don Imus comments to vilify, emasculate and demonize Black men. The Black Lesbian Lobby is one of the most powerful in America and now they have 11.5 million more reasons to advance their Black Man Hating Black Lesbian agenda.
This is no different then how Essence Magazine and other Black Lesbian organizations have aligned with White Supremacists(Micheal Richards, Rush Limbaugh, Hillary Clinton, Planned Parenthood)in an effort to destroy the Black Race by preventing Black men from pro-creating. The enemies of the Black Race won this one, its up to the rest of us to make sure they don't win the next.
No Sellout.
TKCAL
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By: sunshine111 on 12/11/2007 8:46PM
well I was sexually harassed a few times but in 2005 and 2006 were not good years for me. The first one the then administrator elliott armstrong of pine tree villa assisted living facility used to wait until i was about to start my 7pm med pass to try to call me downstairs to his office and try to ask for sex kisses try to touch feel and grasp. dont these perverts know that this is why women have eating disorders. its very hard for us to trust men and really get involved in relationships. i mean this dude caused major changes in my life a lot of these companies in north carolina will not have sexual harassment laws if it wasn't for me telling on each and every dude whom harassed me. i have goals to reach then they want to try to distract that with their ignorance. this dude elliott armstrong did not allow the front office to give out the info to the corporate office unitl i quit and obtained the info to tell on him and then gave the info to other employees who needed it. the eeoc took 2 years to give me my right to sue and within the 2 years the company changed management all employees owners destroyed evidence. the company got a lawyer immediately but i had to wait for my right to sue and because of the date on my right to sue I can't even get a lawyer. only ones i have to hear my case is God the judge and jury
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By: naturalocks on 12/12/2007 7:49AM
No one knows what the evidence shows in this case. So regardless of your feelings about the settlement and possible outcome it is irrelavent what you think should and should not have happened.
God, Isiah, and Ms. Sanders know the truth. Only God can judge them.
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