LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Supreme Court temporarily paused former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league on Monday as the NFL prepares an appeal in the case.
Last year, District Court Judge Nancy Allf denied the NFL’s request for arbitration in Gruden’s lawsuit against the league. Lawyers for the NFL are pushing to settle Gruden’s lawsuit through arbitration — and not the public process of discovery.
The high court’s brief ruling issued Monday pauses any movement in the district court level pending further state supreme court review.
Gruden resigned from the Raiders on Oct. 11, 2021, after emails surfaced showing he used racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments. A New York Times investigation revealed Gruden had not only used racist comments in an email in 2011, but had regularly used derogatory language in emails during his employment with ESPN.
NFL lawyers have denied Gruden’s “unsupported speculation” that the NFL and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were the source of the leak. But a U.S. House committee found the Washington Commanders leaked Gruden’s emails, former Commanders president Bruce Allen told the panel.
Gruden filed the lawsuit against the NFL and Goodell in November 2021, over what he called his “forced” resignation the month before.
Lawyers for the league have claimed Gruden “consistently” sent “derogatory emails” while he led the team, court filings the 8 News Now Investigators reviewed this summer indicated.
Gruden signed a $100 million contract with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. According to the lawsuit, he is not being paid the remaining balance on the contract, which runs through 2027. His lawyers also write Gruden is losing out on endorsement deals, including one with footwear company Skechers.