Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden loses bid to keep NFL lawsuit in courts
- Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden lost his bid to keep his lawsuit against the NFL in the courts.
- The lawsuit may now be overseen by Roger Goodell in an arbitration process.
- The Nevada Supreme Court also rejected his bid for reconsideration.
In a recent development, former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden has faced a setback in his legal battle against the NFL. The Nevada Supreme Court denied his bid for a rehearing to determine whether his lawsuit, alleging forced resignation due to leaked emails, should be heard in court or through arbitration overseen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Gruden's attorneys, along with representatives from the league, did not immediately respond to the court's decision. Gruden's lawsuit, filed in November 2021, claims that the NFL orchestrated his resignation by leaking past emails containing racist, sexist, and homophobic content from his time at ESPN. The court's decision to potentially move the case to arbitration raised concerns, with one justice calling it "outrageous" for Goodell to oversee a dispute in which he is a named defendant. Gruden, who was the Raiders' head coach during their move to Las Vegas in 2020, left the team in 2021 with a significant portion of his contract remaining. The legal battle stems from emails exchanged between Gruden and former Washington Commanders executive Bruce Allen, discovered during an NFL investigation into workplace culture. Gruden alleges that the selective disclosure and subsequent media coverage of these emails damaged his career and endorsement opportunities. The court's ruling has implications for the handling of the case moving forward, as Gruden seeks monetary damages for the alleged harm caused by the leaked emails. Gruden's extensive history in the NFL, including coaching stints with various teams and a Super Bowl win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, adds complexity to the ongoing legal dispute. The denial of the rehearing by the Nevada Supreme Court signals a continuation of the legal proceedings, with the potential for further developments as the case navigates the arbitration process under the league's purview. The outcome of this high-profile case could have lasting implications for both Gruden and the NFL.