http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html
Isiah found guilty in harassment case
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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.
But the jury also ruled that Thomas does not have to pay punitive damages to the woman, giving him a partial victory after an ugly, three-week trial.
The jury did find that Madison Square Garden committed harassment against the woman, and ruled that she is en led to punitive damages from MSG.
U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch called it an "imminently reasonable" verdict and said the jury will be asked to return later in the day to hear brief arguments on punitive damages against MSG.
After the verdict, the plaintiff hugged family members and friends gathered in the back of the courtroom.
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. But the question of whether Thomas would have to pay punitive damages was up in the air until Tuesday.
Browne Sanders, fired from her $260,000 a year job in 2006, sued Thomas and Madison Square Garden for $10 million. Her case presented the Garden as "Animal House" in sneakers, a place where nepotism, sexism, crude remarks and crass language were part of the culture.
The former Northwestern college basketball star characterized Thomas as a foul-mouthed lout who initially berated her as a " " and a "ho" before his anger gave way to ardor, with Thomas making unwanted advances and encouraging her to visit him "off site."
Thomas, who was hired in December 2003, followed her to the stand and denied all her allegations. Attorneys for Thomas and the Garden also portrayed Browne Sanders as incompetent and unable to adapt once the NBA great arrived as the Knicks' president.
"That's not about sexual harassment," MSG attorney Ronald Green said in his closing argument. "That's about team politics."
Good. Isiah. He sux in the front office and has been undeservedly given too many opportunities to run a team, each resulting in massive failure. Add to that a sexual harassment conviction and the ignorant, racist comments that he continually makes, and the result is a complete ing loser.
she won?
He wasn't found "guilty." It was a civil case, not a criminal case. He was found "liable."
While similar, those are two different things that carry different outcomes.
Same article says the jury said Isiah doesn't have to pay any punitive damages, only MSG.
Weird.
Knick needs bring back Jeff Van Gundy he fit right in with all these asshole people.
He should be fired...for his wonton sexual advances and that he actually pretty much sucks as a coach and GM.
Did he walk out without shaking hands before the verdict was read?
Again, it was not a conviction and he was not found guilty.
He was found "LIABLE."
There's a difference. And, the same jury that found Isiah "liable" said he doesn't have to pay Browne-Sanders anything.
He just gave her a cute kiss on the cheek.
Isiah Thomas Found Liable; $11.6M Awarded
Knicks Coach, Madison Square Garden Liable In Harassment Case
POSTED: 10:16 am CDT October 2, 2007
UPDATED: 1:46 pm CDT October 2, 2007
A federal jury decided that 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.
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.
Thomas said he would appeal the decision that found him and Madison Square Garden liable in the case.
"I am innocent. I am very innocent," said Thomas said in a statement as he exited the courthouse. "I did not do the things she accuses me of doing and I am disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case."
Browne Sanders, fired from her $260,000 a year job in 2006, sued Thomas and Madison Square Garden for $10 million. She accused them of sexual harassment and said MSG fired her for complaining about the treatment.
The decision came a day after jurors reached a decision on eight of the nine questions on the jury form; they were deadlocked on the other question, which asks whether Thomas should have to pay punitive damages. That question only becomes relevant if the jury of four women and three men first determines that Thomas and Madison Square Garden committed harassment against the former executive.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
must be nice.
Yikes. If I were Isiah, I'd have paid her twice that much just to make sure her picture didn't get out.
There is something VERY wrong here!
She gets $11.6mil because her feelings were hurt, yet if you lose a hand or an eye in a workplace accident you get a couple of hundred grand due to "limited payout" laws that have recently been introduced to curb compensation payouts. WTF??? $11.6mil is ABSURD.
Ok if Isiah was harassing that, he needs to go to a bunch of strip clubs nail a bunch of hot strippers and then check himself into therapy where his counselor will see to it he never hits on something like that again. He is Isiah Thomas if i was on that jury i would have said no he did not sexually harass you for obvious reasons.
I didn't know Isaiah was into men. I'm sure John Amaechi would let him smash.
Actually, there are rumors about Isaiah and Magic being on the "down low."
This is why you should not hire women. They are lawsuits waiting to happen. Nobody would sexually harass and old ugly like her. She should be in jail soon. If es are at your work, you should not speak to them or bad things will happen.
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