She wrote that the NHL has received a number of text messages sent between and among Tampa crew members. Watkins and Walkowiak were terminated the following month, Chase-Sosnoff wrote. In the NHL’s statement of defence, Chase-Sosnoff confirmed that Watkins reported to Distler and Watson about DeLorenzo’s alleged comments and that DeLorenzo and Brace were fired in January 2020. The NHL has refused to provide Walkowiak with a copy of the message, the lawsuit alleged. 27, 2020, for allegedly being involved in a group text message thread of DeLorenzo’s years earlier. 2, 2020. Walkowiak and Watkins were fired on Feb. The NHL fired Brace and DeLorenzo on Jan. The plaintiffs allege that after Distler and Watson promised them that they would be protected under the NHL’s whistle-blower policy, the league was provided with six video recordings of DeLorenzo’s racially discriminatory behaviour. “ knew that a recent previous female off-ice official from another city was terminated by shortly after reporting sexual harassment at work,” the lawsuit says. Watkins alleged he told the NHL executives that there was video evidence of DeLorenzo’s alleged racist statements.ĭistler and Watson later contacted Walkowiak after speaking with Watkins, the lawsuit says, adding both plaintiffs were worried they might be fired for reporting the incidents. Walkowiak and Watkins claim that Watkins also reported DeLorenzo’s alleged behaviour to NHL vice-president of human resources Patrice Distler and Katherine Watson, an NHL lawyer, in December 2019. They allege Brace failed to take any action for several years. Walkowiak and Watkins allege that they reported DeLorenzo's alleged behaviour in November and December 2019 to Ron Brace, then the NHL’s crew chief in Tampa. repeatedly used racist language at work in reference to the NHL’s African-American hockey players and the African-American military veteran, Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, who sings the national anthem at Lightning games at Amalie Arena. The two former officials alleged that during their tenures with the NHL, colleague Pat DeLorenzo Jr. Watkins had worked for the NHL since 1998 while Walkowiak was hired in September 2005. They allege in their wrongful dismissal lawsuit that both were fired on Feb. Walkowiak and Watkins are seeking unspecified punitive damages and have asked a court to demand they be rehired by the NHL. “All employment decisions regarding or affecting were based upon legitimate, non-discriminatory, and reasonable business reasons that were in no way related to alleged protected activity.”Ĭhase-Sosnoff asked a judge to demand the plaintiffs pay the NHL’s legal costs related to the case.
“ is continuing to investigate plaintiffs’ allegations,” Chase-Sosnoff wrote.
District Court for the Middle District of Florida, NHL lawyer Emily Chase-Sosnoff wrote that a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed in January by David Walkowiak and James Watkins, former crew officials who worked for the NHL during Lightning games in Tampa Bay, has no merit. In a 15-page statement of defence filed Mar. The National Hockey League said in court documents that it is continuing to investigate allegations made in a lawsuit filed by two former off-ice officials who allege they were fired for reporting a colleague who used racist and sexually charged language for years while working for the league.
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