Las Vegas, NV: Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden has won a significant legal victory in his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell. On Monday, August 11, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled to block the case from being forced into arbitration, a move that is a major setback for the league.
Nevada Supreme Court’s Ruling and its Implications
In a 5-2 ruling, the Nevada Supreme Court determined that the NFL’s arbitration clause “does not apply to Gruden as a former employee and is unconscionable.” The court did not rule on the core allegations that the NFL leaked Gruden’s private emails. Instead, it focused on the unfairness of the league’s arbitration process itself, which would have allowed Commissioner Goodell—a target of the lawsuit—to preside over the dispute.
“The ability of the stronger party to select a biased arbitrator is unconscionable, even if the stronger party may ultimately choose a neutral arbitrator,” the court’s decision stated.
Adam Hosmer-Henner, an attorney for Gruden, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, calling it a victory “not just for Coach Gruden but for all employees facing an employer’s unfair arbitration process.” He added that the decision “vindicates Coach Gruden’s reputation” and “clears the way to swiftly bringing him full justice and holding the NFL accountable.”
Background of the Lawsuit
The legal dispute began after a 2011 email exchange between Gruden and then-Washington team president Bruce Allen was made public by The Wall Street Journal. The emails contained racist slurs directed at then-NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith. Although Gruden was not an NFL employee at the time the emails were sent, he was ultimately forced to resign from his coaching position with the Raiders in November 2021.
Gruden subsequently filed a lawsuit, alleging that he was the victim of a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” designed to “destroy [his] career and reputation.” While the merits of this claim have yet to be proven in court, this latest ruling ensures that the case can proceed in a public court rather than being handled through the NFL’s internal, and what the court called a biased, arbitration system.
The NFL has not yet released an official comment on the ruling. To appeal this decision, the league would have to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.