Garden Told To Turn Over Notes in Cheerleader Case
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Madison Square Garden must turn over notes and e-mails from an internal investigation in the case of a former New York Rangers cheerleader who claims she had to stuff her bra and at least one member of management was a sexual predator, a judge said.
U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet ordered the MSG to produce the documents to learn the merits of Courtney Prince’s claim. But Mr. Sweet said MSG lawyers would not have to turn over materials aimed at building a defense against the claims.
He also said in Monday’s order that MSG must provide the judge with all internal claims or complaints of sex discrimination and sexual harassment filed between the dates of January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004.
Ms. Prince, 29, the former captain of the New York Rangers’ cheerleading squad, sued MSG in October 2004. Prince said she was fired on January 22, 2004 after she warned fellow cheerleaders that at least one member of management was a sexual predator.
According to the lawsuit, MSG managers and supervisors took some of the dozen cheerleaders to bars and restaurants and bought alcohol for some underage cheerleaders.
Ms. Prince accused one member of management of trying to stick his tongue down her throat and asking her to have sex at a bar following a post-game party on December 22, 2003.
She said MSG executives required the cheerleaders to stuff their bras and be sexually alluring.
A lawyer for Madison Square Garden did not immediately return a telephone message for comment. MSG has said it believed “the allegations are unfounded.”
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has recommended that MSG have its employees undergo sexual harassment discrimination training and pay Ms. Prince $800,000 in damages.
