Sometimes you just never know where sports media news will break. In this case, a Hollywood industry website, Deadline, which is led by the mysterious Nikki Finke, breaks news about a lawsuit against Fox Sports put forth by an African American male who is suing for unlawful discrimination based on race and on disability as well as wrongful termination. In addition, the plantiff, Jerry Davis, alleges that Fox Sports employs 34 executives, none of whom are black. The lawsuit claims that to the best of Davis' knowledge, no African American "has ever held any position at or above vice president in that division's entire 19-year existence."
Davis says he was passed over for promotion during his entire 15½ year career at Fox working as a director in the Fox Sports music department. He points out that he expressed interest in the Vice President of Music position that became open four times during his Fox tenture and was passed over in favor of four white people despite "strong support" from colleagues from within the company. Davis alleges that he was not promoted because as an African-American, "he did not fit neatly into the company's corporate culture."
The lawsuit describes Davis as 52 years old, graduate of Cal-Berkeley, an athlete and he has extensive experience working in the music industry. He says Fox's treatment during his employment with the company caused him physical and emotional distress. Davis is seeking unspecified damages in a jury trial.
Davis has named Fox Sports, Fox Cable Networks, Fox Sports Net and Fox Networks Group in his lawsuit. This suit bears watching and we'll keep track to see if it heads to the jury phase.
[Deadline]
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