Is There a 'Culture of Misogyny' in NBA Front Offices?

NBA security director says he was fired for blowing whistle on sexual harassment

Defending his client Warren Glover, who is suing N.B.A. senior security and executive officials after he was fired for blowing the whistle on ignored sexual harassment complaints from female employees, lawyer Randy McLaughlin told The New York Times, "I think there's a culture of misogyny in this association, and it starts at the lower levels and it's tolerated and condoned at the higher levels. Because there's nothing being done."

Glover has been unemployed since July when the NBA fired him after ten years of working for them, mostly with positive performance reviews. Glover believes he was fired because he spoke out against sexual harassment among women who worked in the N.B.A.'s administrative offices.

In 2009, Glover testified in favor of his administrative assistant Annette Smith who sued the N.B.A.'s former senior vice president for security Bernard Tolbert for sexual harassment. The league settled with her and Tolbert left office in October in 2010. But Glover says that Tolbert made him pay for that testimony before the senior vice president left.

Glover, who's a former lieutenant commander for the New York Police Department, also spoke out on behalf of Selman Allsop, a woman who complained about being verbally harassed in 2004 by another security director.

Toblert denies Glover's accusations, telling The New York Times "I have no idea what you're talking about." The league's spokesman Mike Bass said "Mr. Glover's allegations are without merit, and we will vigorously defend against them."

The case brings to mind the scandal involving Isaiah Thomas who as  head coach of the New York Knicks was sued by Anucha Browne Sanders for sexual harassment in 2006. The NBA settled that case for $11.5 million. Thomas is now the head coach of the college Florida International University men's basketball team.