Gruden’s lawsuit against NFL closer to trial after ruling

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LAS VEGAS — Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL moved closer to trial on Thursday when the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously denied the league’s petition to rehear a recent decision.

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“We’re obviously pleased with the court’s decision,” Gruden’s attorney, Adam Hosmer-Henner, told The Associated Press by email.

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The NFL, which could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, declined to comment.

Gruden resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2021 after the publication of emails he sent years earlier that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic language. A month later, he sued the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career by leaking the emails.

In Thursday’s 7-0 ruling, the Nevada Supreme Court denied the league’s earlier appeal of its ruling on Aug. 11 that Gruden can proceed with his lawsuit and not go through the league for arbitration.

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In 2022, the NFL appealed to Nevada’s high court after a judge in Las Vegas rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden’s claim outright or to order out-of-court talks through an arbitration process that could be overseen by Goodell.

The high court, in a 5-2 ruling, said that “the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.”

Gruden was an on-air analyst at ESPN from 2011-18 when the emails were sent.

He was the Raiders’ coach when the team moved in 2020 to Las Vegas from Oakland, California. He’s seeking monetary damages, saying that selective disclosure of the emails and their publication by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times ruined his career and endorsement contracts.

Gruden coached the Raiders in Oakland from 1998 to 2001, then led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven years, winning a Super Bowl title in 2003. He spent several years as a TV analyst for ESPN before being hired by the Raiders in 2018.

He later consulted for the New Orleans Saints in 2023. He is now a part owner and consultant for the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football One league.

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