Lawsuit Against MSG, Thomas Headed For September Court Date

Judge Rules Sexual Harassment Suit Against Thomas Can Move Forward

Manhattan federal Judge Gerald Lynch ruled that former Knicks exec Anucha Browne Sanders' sexual harassment suit against team President of Basketball Operations and coach Isiah Thomas will move forward, according to Kati Cornell of the N.Y. POST.  Lynch wrote in his ruling, “This is going to be a really interesting, factual dispute for the jury to figure out what happened.  We do expect there will be a trial in September as scheduled, unless the parties are able to resolve their differences.”  MSG attorneys have tried to get the case thrown out, accusing Browne Sanders of “trying to obstruct an internal probe ... by forcing employees to detail charges supporting her case.”  MSG attorney Miguel Estrada said, “She asked at least three people to do these e-mails on an expedited basis on a holiday. ... It was ‘I am your boss at MSG.  You will do this for me right now.’”  Cornell noted MSG also has accused Browne Sanders of “cheating on her taxes by listing more than $70,000 in deductions for a home-based marketing business.”  Lynch “wrote off MSG’s argument that [Browne] Sanders would have been fired even sooner had her supervisors known about the purported moonlighting gig and alleged tax fraud, calling the argument ‘weak’ and ‘fairly preposterous’” (N.Y. POST, 7/4).