Dallas Mavericks launch internal probe after former CEO is accused of sexual misconduct

[pwaldo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...isconduct.html

The Dallas Mavericks have hired outside counsel to investigate allegations of improper conduct by former team president and CEO Terdema Ussery, including inappropriate remarks and touching, as well as requests for sex.

Sports Illustrated contacted six female former Mavericks or American Airlines Center employees who claimed they left the sports sector because of a structure that left them feeling vulnerable and devalued while protecting powerful men who misbehaved. A male former department head said there was 'built-in protection for a lot of men.'

Two women claimed Ussery, 59, harassed them for years, including the aforementioned incidents ranging from inappropriate remarks and requests for sex to touching women's calves and thighs during meetings.

Another female support staffer said Ussery made sexually suggestive remarks to her in the media dining room before a game during the 2010-11 season. Ussery reportedly asked the woman if she would be having group sex that weekend.

The woman said she had been told by others to be wary of Ussery.

'It was a real life Animal House,' said one former employee who recently left the organization after five years. 'And I only say "was" because I'm not there anymore. I'm sure it's still going on.'

Ussery, who was investigated by the team over similar claims in 1998, denied the allegations in a statement to SI. He spent 18 years with the team before going to the sports apparel company Under Armour in 2015.

He reportedly resigned from Under Armour after three months of work. A company spokesperson declined to confirm when Ussery left the company or the circumstances behind his exit.

The report also said team website reporter Earl Sneed was twice accused of domestic assault while working for the Mavericks, including a guilty plea in a case that was dismissed when he met the conditions of the agreement.

The team said Sneed had been fired, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told SI that he fired human resources director Buddy Pittman after learning details of the magazine's report. Pittman and Sneed declined to comment to SI.

[WilyWestbrook0]

You know, I see so many of these stories now, and I'm female -- yet I've never been harassed. With the way these stories are coming out, and the way feminists are talking now, you'd think this was some supposedly universal thing.

I will say that my late mother worked in business in the 1970s when harassment was more prevalent. When guys said stuff like what is mentioned in this article, she had some great one-liners. Among them: "I wouldn't spit on you." It worked. The harassment never led to assault or rape.

Bottom line -- if these women were as strong and independent as they love to claim, they'd be responding similarly, taking matters into their own hands instead of running to the higher-ups and using public humiliation. There will always be your occasional ™™™™™™bag sorts; the MeToo movement won't eradicate that. Instead of expecting these sorts to change, women should just tell them to screw off and move on with their lives instead of making public spectacles out of it.

[Jameis1of1]

It'd be nice to see American feminists actually help truly oppressed women in the 3rd world ...

[Nostalgykone]

More than tired of all these sexual allegations. Talk about a witch hunt against men and the patriarch. Pretty much any female in any walk of life can accuse any man of sexual misconduct regardless of the circumstances and evidence, and it earns merits.

Something is seriously wrong with this country. People are hyper-sensitive and unaccountable, evidenced by how we respond to bullying in school, and the school shootings conspiracy which is pushing for gun control and ultimately disarming its U.S. citizens. When I hear of any new sexual allegations I take it with a grain of salt. Thank the biased media for that.

[Jameis1of1]

More than tired of all these sexual allegations. Talk about a witch hunt against men and the matriarch. Pretty much any female in any walk of life can accuse any man of sexual misconduct regardless of the circumstances and evidence, and it earns merits.

Something is seriously wrong with this country. People are hyper-sensitive and unaccountable, evidenced by how we respond to bullying in school, and the school shootings conspiracy which is pushing for gun control and ultimately disarming its U.S. citizens. When I hear of any new sexual allegations I take it with a grain of salt. Thank the biased media for that.

There's a lot of truth in the above me thinks ...

[WilyWestbrook0]

Totally agree that it's turned into a witch hunt against men.

My husband and I went to a game convention this weekend. One of his Facebook friends actually sent him a message that he needed to be careful to ensure that I didn't get sexually assaulted there. He was much more gracious to that person than I would have been.

Anyway, we went to the convention, and there wasn't even the slightest hint of flirtation, let alone sexual assault.

Feminists these days are hyper paranoid over something that rarely occurs, yet act as though it's very common. And they will yell at others for stereotyping black people or Muslims negatively, yet they have free rein to make all kinds of criminal assumptions and act bigoted toward white men.

The hypocrisy is beyond tiresome.

[Jameis1of1]

Totally agree that it's turned into a witch hunt against men.

My husband and I went to a game convention this weekend. One of his Facebook friends actually sent him a message that he needed to be careful to ensure that I didn't get sexually assaulted there. He was much more gracious to that person than I would have been.

Anyway, we went to the convention, and there wasn't even the slightest hint of flirtation, let alone sexual assault.

Feminists these days are hyper paranoid over something that rarely occurs, yet act as though it's very common. And they will yell at others for stereotyping black people or Muslims negatively, yet they have free rein to make all kinds of criminal assumptions and act bigoted toward white men.

The hypocrisy is beyond tiresome.

Preach it!