In May 2002, the Phoenix District Office of the EEOC brought this lawsuit against Phoenix Suns Limited Partnership, a basketball team and Sports Magic Team, a sports entertainment group, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. We do not have a copy of the complaint; therefore, the exact allegations involved are unknown. However, it appears from the EEOC press releases that the complaint alleged the defendants discriminated against the three charging parties, females, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to hire women during the 1998-9 and following seasons to perform certain stunts during sporting events. Following extensive discovery, the parties settled the lawsuit in October 2003 through consent decrees.

We do not have copies of the decrees; therefore, the exact remedies involved are unknown. However, it appears from the docket and press releases that the defendants signed a three-year consent decree, containing anti-discrimination and retaliation clauses, requiring the defendants to: maintain records concerning implementation of the consent decree, issue an apology and references for the charging parties, utilize objective hiring criteria, affirmatively recruit women, post notice of employee rights, provide annual training to all employees with supervisory responsibilities for hiring, recruiting or preparing recruitment advertisement, and pay $104,500 to be distributed among three charging parties.

David Friedman - 01/10/2008


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