A former employee is suing the Kings. They claim Sacramento Kings wrongfully terminated them after they came forward about sexual harassment at the workplace.
Let’s dive right into the details.
The lawsuit:
The former staffer (the plaintiff) claims that they were sexually harassed during work.
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During a road trip in 2021, it is claimed that they were harassed by former Stockton Kings’ assistant coach Akachi Okugo and a player not mentioned in the suit.
A bunch of other staff members witnessed the act. Stockton Kings head coach Bobby Jackson was also present there.
Still, the Sacramento Kings’ HR department reportedly said that the plaintiff’s complaint “did not need to be escalated”.
A few months later, the plaintiff alleges that their vehicle was stolen from in the workplace. This led to them telling HR that they didn’t feel safe in the workplace, and were permitted to work remotely.
Stacy Wegzyn, the Kings vice president for human resources had allowed them.
After Okugo left the team, the team requested the former employee to work and travel with them again. Unfortunately, they claim that they received “unwanted attention and jealous remarks from a team member” once they returned in the workplace.
In March 2022, the plaintiff reported this issue to Stockton Kings General Manager, Paul Johnson. Johnson redirected them to Wegzyn and the HR.
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Consequentially, HR asked Johnson to discuss the issue with the involved player, where Johnson revealed the name of the complainant.
On April 11, Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair and Wegzyn fired the plaintiff.
Sacramento Kings’ statements:
Terry Wilis, the Kings’ labor and employment lawyer, said that “the accusations of wrongdoing are false and will be addressed through the appropriate legal process.”
Though Okugo is not a defendant in the lawsuit, he still refused to comment.
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