Oracle Arena in Oakland, home of the Golden State Warriors. Photo by Jason DoiyFormer Warriors Ticket Sales Employee Sues Claiming Discrimination, Retaliation
Nicholas Smith, a former group ticket sales employee, claims he was retaliated against for complaining about work conditions at Oracle Arena and treatment by a supervisor.
November 09, 2018 at 05:10 PM
3 minute read
A former group ticket sales employee for the NBA's Golden State Warriors has filed a lawsuit against the championship team for alleged employment, wage and disability discrimination.
The former employee, Nicholas Smith, filed the lawsuit on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He is being represented by Jocelyn Burton, of Burton Employment Law in Oakland.
Smith worked for the Warriors from June 2012 until March 16, 2018, according to the complaint. At one point during his time there, he earned as much as $141,000 in salary and commissions, the lawsuit said.
However, Smith alleges that the team began improperly withholding commissions, which ultimately resulted in lowering his pay, even though he says management described him as a “top performer.”
The lawsuit alleges that other ticket sales employees also complained and were at one point told by management: “[W]e are the Golden State Freaking Warriors. If you don't want to work here, the door is right there, guys. People are begging to work with us.”
During Smith's tenure with the team, the Warriors won two NBA championship titles and have since added another.
The lawsuit also alleges that the team failed to accommodate his physical and mental infirmities.
Physically, Smith says he had hernia surgeries, testicle surgeries, slipped discs, pinched back nerves, anxiety and depression.
Complaints to superiors, he claims, were merely ignored.
Smith also alleges that the team ignored complaints about working conditions at the aging Oracle Arena in Oakland, which opened in 1966. There is constant standing water in the facility and it was extremely difficult for employees to move material from one location to another, especially on game days and nights, the lawsuit said.
The Warriors are expected to abandon the Oracle Arena and move to the Chase Center in San Francisco next year.
Smith said he was essentially fired by the team because of his complaints. On March 16, the lawsuit alleges that Smith received an email from Warriors general counsel David Kelly saying he was being terminated for “poor performance.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Warriors have violated the Americans With Disabilities Act, the federal Civil Rights Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and the California Labor Code.
The lawsuit is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as counsel fees.
Burton was away from her office and was unavailable for further comment.
A team spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Read the complaint:
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