• 29
  • December
    2011

A former employee of the Oakland, California, basketball team, the Golden State Warriors, has sued the team and star shooting guard Monta Ellis for sexual harassment.

The woman, who had been the team's director of community relations, said that Ellis sent her more than 60 unwelcome and harassing text messages, as well as sending her a picture of his genitals. She said she replied to the text messages because she thought that no one would listen to her if she complained and because she believed she needed to "humor" Ellis to avoid retaliation.


In a strange twist to the story, the messages were sent via a "secret" phone that was billed to Ellis' grandmother. The former employee said that Ellis' wife called her and told her she knew about the secret phone -- and then went to Warriors management to ask that the employee be fired.

She said that the team tried to bribe her to quit, but she refused. The team later fired her after she told them that a reporter had contacted her, asking if Ellis was stalking her.

The team's president is now saying that Ellis and the woman had a consensual relationship, something that the woman strongly denies.

She is claiming that the Warriors have a history of sexual harassment, saying that the team "condoned, encouraged and/or ratified" various incidents of harassment, including requiring the team's cheerleaders to perform for the team's chairman and his friends.

The lawsuit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court on December 21.

Source: Fox News, "Woman sues Ellis, Warriors for harassment," Dec. 21, 2011