Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, is suing the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday alleging that the league sought to destroy Gruden's career and reputation through a "malicious and orchestrated campaign. Gruden's lawyers wrote in the 21-page complaint that he was "forced to resign," Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Former #Raiders coach Jon Gruden is suing the NFL and Roger Goodell in Nevada district court, alleging they sought to destroy Gruden’s career and reputation through a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” that led to his resignation last month, Gruden’s attorney tells me.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2021
"Through a malicious and orchestrated campaign, the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell sought to destroy the career and reputation of Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders," reads the lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court. "When their initial salvo did not result in Gruden’s firing or resignation, Defendants ratcheted up the pressure by intimating that further documents would become public if Gruden was not fired."
"They followed through with this threat by leaking another batch of documents to the New York Times for an October 11, 2021 article. On October 7, 2021, Jon Gruden was the head coach of the Raiders on a 10-year, $100-million contract. By October 11, 2021, he had been forced to resign," the suit continues.
Gruden’s lawsuit refers to it as “a Soviet-style character assassination. There was no warning and no process. Defendants held the emails for months until they were leaked to the national media in the middle of the Raiders’ season ... to cause maximum damage to Gruden.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2021
Gruden is seeking damages on seven claims, as well as punitive damages and legal fees, according to NFL Network national reporter Tom Pelissero.
The lawsuit refers to the league's treatment of Gruden as "a Soviet-style character assassination. There was no warning and no process. Defendants held the emails for months until they were leaked to the national media in the middle of the Raiders' season ... to cause maximum damage to Gruden."
The emails in question reveal, among other things, Gruden criticizing Colin Kaepernick, at a time when the controversy surrounding the BLM icon kneeling during the National Anthem at games was front-and-center in the media.
Gruden's scandal and resignation has had ripple effects. EA Sports has announced that his likeness would be removed from Madden NFL 22.
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