The Nevada Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the NFL’s petition for a rehearing regarding Jon Gruden’s ongoing lawsuit against the league. The court’s ruling is conclusive, and all seven justices are unanimous on this point. Their declaration that arbitration cannot be forced upon Gruden, as the NFL Constitution requires, removes that possibility from consideration in his case. This latest ruling comes on the heels of an August decision that ruled in favor of Gruden in a 5-2 decision.
Gruden’s lawsuit centers on allegations that the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell pressured the Las Vegas Raiders to terminate his contract by leaking emails containing racist, sexist, and anti-gay comments. These emails were subsequently published by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Gruden argued that this cherry-picked disclosure destroyed his career and jeopardized his endorsement deals.
In November 2021, Gruden resigned from his position as the Raiders’ head coach. His resignation was announced at a time when he faced fire for controversial leaked emails. At the time of his resignation, the Raiders held a strong 3-1 record, prompting owner Mark Davis to seek Gruden’s departure due to the distraction caused by the revelations.
Gruden welcomed the truth coming out through this legal process. Through his efforts, he wants to prevent what happened to him from happening to anyone else.
“What happened wasn’t right, and I’m glad the court didn’t let the NFL cover it up.” – Jon Gruden
The former coach conceded that, given the circumstances of those leaked emails, it did poison the Raiders’ 2021 season. It was a brutal season even in hindsight. And most recently, ESPN accused Gruden of having a hand in launching a new ESPN enterprise hosted by Gruden, called “Backstory.” All of this was prior to his firing.
According to Gruden’s attorney, Adam Hosmer-Henner, they are pleased with the court’s decision. The justices were particularly concerned that extending the NFL Constitution to old employees such as Gruden would allow the Commissioner to decide which disputes should go to arbitration. This highly selective approach raises significant equity and fairness issues in addressing these problems.
“By its own unambiguous language, the NFL Constitution no longer applies to Gruden.” – Nevada’s high court justices
Gruden’s background includes a notable 24-year career in journalism at The New York Times and Miami Herald before transitioning into coaching. His release from the Raiders marked the turning point for the often-embattled franchise. For it to happen during their unprecedented transition from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.
In the meanwhile, as this legal battle rages on, Gruden is still not available for any additional comment on the case. No matter how this lawsuit plays out, the outcome will likely shape Gruden’s future as a football coach. It could change the way pro sports teams engage with communities in other such disputes.
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