[ACLU-NM] ACLU Joins Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Scorpions Hockey Team

[Kimberly Lavender]

~ ACLU-NM NEWS RELEASE ~





For Immediate Release

May 13th, 2004



Contact:        Peter Simonson, ACLU-NM Executive Director, 266-4622

                        Katie Hammel, Cooperating Attorney, 873-1610

                        Maureen Sanders, ACLU-NM Co-Legal Director





ACLU Joins Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Scorpions Hockey Team





Albuquerque---The ACLU of New Mexico has pledged its support to five former
employees of the New Mexico Scorpions professional hockey team in their
pending lawsuit for hostile and discriminatory working conditions during the
2001-2002 hockey season.  The plaintiffs include the team’s award-winning
community relations and sales representative Rosann Williams, box office
manager Kaye Hunter, controller Moira Daly, former assistant coach and
player Rob Haddock, and the pro shop employee Mia Marquart.  They were
represented throughout the preliminary stages of the lawsuit by attorney
Katy Hammel, who now becomes the ACLU Cooperating Attorney for the case.  On
Wednesday May 11th, ACLU-NM Co-Legal Director Maureen Sanders entered her
appearance in the case on behalf of the ACLU.



“The ACLU rarely sponsors cases against private employers; our primary
mission is to challenge government abuse,” said ACLU-NM Co-Legal Director,
Maureen Sanders.  “In this case, however, the stories of sexual and racial
discrimination were so shocking and well-documented that we felt a duty to
lend our assistance.  Hopefully, the attention that the ACLU brings to this
case helps send a signal that sexual and racial harassment in professional
sports teams will not be tolerated.”



The lawsuit alleges that Defendants Patrick Dunn and Tyler Boucher--General
Manager and Community Liaison for the Scorpions--regularly made lewd jokes
around the female Plaintiffs and openly referred to them as “f***ing
bitches.”  The Plaintiffs were pressured to date team patrons and to cheat
in ticket and pro shop sales to give some of the Defendants an edge in
sales.  Plaintiffs reported the problems to Defendant William Douglas Frank,
owner of W.D. Sports NM, Inc, who failed to take action to remedy the
situation.  The female Plaintiffs were given significantly lower
compensation and fewer privileges than male employees for performing the
same job responsibilities.



Legal papers also accuse Defendants Dunn and Boucher of making racially
prejudiced remarks about Plaintiff Robert Haddock and undermining his
ability to make sales.  Boucher repeatedly swept Haddock’s business cards
off the office front desk and denied him access to a computer and a phone.
Haddock repeatedly complained about the inequities, but to no avail.



“Abusive work situations can be devastating, especially for people who love
their jobs,” said attorney Katy Hammel.  “These employees were true hockey
fans.  They were proud to be part of the Scorpions.  So proud, in fact, that
Kaye Hunter had her lower leg tattooed with the figure of a scorpion holding
a hockey stick.  These employees did not deserve to lose their jobs because
they could not put up with being called ‘bitches’ and ‘donkeys’ and ‘nigger.
’”



Plaintiff Moira Daly said, “The worst thing for me was not being able to do
anything about it.  I had employees in my office crying and I knew from
prior complaints to the team’s owner and General Manager that nothing would
be done.”



“It’s taken away a lot of things I valued that I cannot seem to get back,
like my love of sport, my confidence playing sports,” Daly said.  “I used to
play premier level soccer in Albuquerque, and now it’s hard even to get out
on the field.  I can’t get myself mentally back in the game.”



The lawsuit alleges multiple violations of the New Mexico Human Rights Act
and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as defamation and
retaliatory discharge.  The Plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive
damages, as well as equitable relief to prevent future violations.  In
addition to Frank, Dunn, and Boucher, new General Manager Daniel Burgers,
Vice President of Finance and Administration Bruce Levine, W.D. Sports N.M.
Inc. and New Mexico Scorpions are named Defendants.



###

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /archives/aclu-nm/attachments/20040513/cf22fec2/attachment.htm