Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden has won a major legal battle against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, as the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that his lawsuit can proceed in court rather than through arbitration.
Gruden filed the lawsuit in 2021 after his coaching tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders ended when leaked emails revealed racist, sexist, and homophobic language. He alleged that the NFL engaged in a ‘malicious and orchestrated campaign’ to damage his career by leaking the emails, which were from his time as an ESPN analyst and ‘Monday Night Football’ broadcaster.
The NFL appealed the case to Nevada’s high court in 2022 after a judge in Las, and the league’s lawyers argued that the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution should be applied to Gruden as a former employee.
On Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in a 5-2 decision that the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is ‘unconscionable’ and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.
Gruden’s lawyers expressed their delight with the ruling, stating that the decision is not only a victory for Gruden but also for all employees facing an unfair arbitration process.
Gruden, who was head coach of the Raiders when the team moved from Oakland to Las Vegas, is seeking monetary damages, claiming that the selective disclosure of the emails ruined his career and endorsement deals.
Since leaving the Raiders, Gruden has worked his way back into the NFL, working with players from the New Orleans Saints and, most recently, the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. He is also a part-owner and consultant for the Arena Football One League’s Nashville Kats.
Gruden expressed hope for an NFL return in July when he visited the Lions.