Jon Gruden. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is suing the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell over selectively leaking his emails, Gruden's lawyer announced in a statement on Friday.
Driving the news: Gruden resigned last month after emails he sent over a roughly seven-year period included homophobic, racist and misogynistic language were obtained by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
- The emails, which were sent to former Washington Football Team president Bruce Allen while Gruden was working as an ESPN commentator, were recovered as part of the NFL's investigation into Washington's toxic workplace environment, according to the Times.
What they're saying: Gruden's lawyers say that through an "orchestrated campaign," the NFL and Goodell leaked Gruden's emails to destroy the former coach's career and reputation, according to court documents.
- "There is no explanation or justification for why Gruden's emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected of the Washington Football Team or for why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders' season," Adam Hosmer-Henner, who represents Gruden, said.
- An NFL spokesman denied the allegations, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, calling them "entirely meritless," and adding that "the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims.”
Flashback: Raiders owner Mark Davis said last month that he was also unhappy with how the emails were released and asked for the NFL to release the investigation.
Of note: The House Oversight and Reform Committee requested documents from the NFL on its investigation into the culture of the Washington Football Team.
- "The NFL’s lack of transparency about the problems it recently uncovered raise questions about the seriousness with which it has addressed bigotry, racism, sexism, and homophobia—setting troubling precedent for other workplaces," per the letter.