LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Supreme Court is set to conduct a comprehensive review of a lawsuit filed by former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden against the NFL. This legal action stems from emails that were leaked to the media, prompting Gruden’s resignation in 2021.
Although oral arguments have not been scheduled, the court announced on Thursday that all seven justices will reevaluate the case after a previous panel’s 2-1 decision on May 14 to dismiss it. This decision was upheld on July 1 by the same panel.
The panel ruled that the NFL could move the case into arbitration, potentially overseen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, a named defendant. Two justices referenced Gruden’s contract with the Raiders, which included a clause about resolving disputes through arbitration. However, the dissenting justice criticized the idea of Goodell arbitrating a case in which he is involved, calling it “outrageous.”
The legal teams for Gruden, Goodell, and the NFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of Friday. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy also declined to provide any statements.
Gruden’s lawsuit accuses Goodell and the NFL of coercing the Raiders to fire him by leaking emails with offensive content that he had sent while working as an ESPN analyst. These emails included derogatory remarks about Goodell and others in the NFL. Gruden resigned from his position with the Raiders in November 2021.
The NFL appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court after a Las Vegas state judge in May 2022 denied the league’s motions to either dismiss the lawsuit or initiate out-of-court settlements under Goodell’s supervision.
The judge highlighted Gruden’s allegation that only his emails were leaked, suggesting that a jury could interpret this as evidence of an intentional act aimed at achieving a specific outcome.
Gruden, who led the Raiders during their 2020 relocation to Las Vegas, is seeking financial compensation, claiming that the selective leak of emails damaged his career and endorsement opportunities. His coaching career includes leading the Raiders in Oakland from 1998 to 2001 and winning a Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. Gruden also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN before returning to the Raiders in 2018.
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