Jon Gruden lawsuit: NFL takes another hit as Las Vegas judge sides with former Raiders HC
In October 2021, Jon Gruden was fired as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Throughout the NFL's long-lasting investigation into the Washington Commanders, emails sent by Gruden to the then-general manager Bruce Allen were discovered.
In the emails that were eventually leaked, he used racist, sexist, and lewd language. The emails were sent around 2017-2018 when he worked for ESPN.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said that there was no place for that type of behavior in the organization. He and Gruden mutually decided that the latter should resign.
Shortly after, he filed a lawsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada, against the National Football League and commissioner Roger Goodell for intentionally releasing the emails. The league asked a judge to throw the case out in May 2022 but that was denied.
A district judge denied a motion from the NFL on Thursday to halt proceedings in former Raiders coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league. #JonGruden fal.cn/3sV3k
This week, the league lost yet another motion, to prohibit the case from moving any further. Judge Nancy Allf refused to 'stay the litigation' which means that she is allowing for the case to move to the next step.
The NFL filed an appeal to her motion and unless they are granted their appeal, even more information about this case could be made public soon.
“That was a contract between Mr. Gruden and a professional sports team. Even though they’re a signatory, they’re not a party. So, I am going to deny the motion.”
The NFL was also trying to go to arbitration with Jon Gruden to prevent any additional and damaging information from becoming public and settling the case behind closed doors. But with this motion, that was denied too.
The next step would be called the discovery process. Jon Gruden will hand over any evidence that he has and the court will get depositions from not only Roger Goodell but also Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder. The source of the leaked emails could also be revealed during this step.
How long did Jon Gruden coach in the NFL?
Jon Gruden got his first opportunity to coach in the National Football League in 1992 as the wide receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers. In 1995, he was then hired by the Philadelphia Eagles to be the offensive coordinator.
Before the start of the 1998 season, he was hired to be the coach of the then-named Oakland Raiders. After leading the Raiders to an AFC Championship game in 2001, the team traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Tony Dungy was fired. The Buccaneers went on to win their first-ever Super Bowl in his first season as head coach, as they defeated the Raiders 48-21.
NEW: Jon Gruden's winning percentage against the NFL in court far surpasses his coaching record. Thursday, the NFL was dealt another setback as a judge denied an indefinite stay pending appeal in the case. My @FOS story. frontofficesports.com/nfl-denied-sta…
He was fired by the Buccaneers in 2009 after seven seasons with the team. He was then hired by ESPN for the 'Monday Night Football' broadcast. He didn't take another coaching position in the NFL until 2018 by the Raiders, nine years after being fired by the Bucs.