Raiders win age discrimination lawsuit brought by ex-scouts
The Oakland Raiders won a lawsuit brought by two former scouts who alleged they were fired because of their age, reports the Bay Area News Group.
Scouts Bruce Kebric and Jon Kingdon were 68 and 59, respectively, when they were fired in 2012, shortly after owner Mark Davis and general manager Reggie McKenzie took control of the team.
Kebric, who was a national scout, and Kingdon, the director of college scouting, sought $3 million in lost wages and future earnings, plus punitive and emotional distress damages. A jury took three hours to deliver a unanimous verdict in favor of the Raiders.
“We appreciate the jury quickly and unanimously rejecting these claims and confirming that the Raiders' employment decisions were lawful and not discriminatory in any way," the Raiders said in a statement. "The Raiders are proud of our long history of equal opportunity employment without regard for race, gender, age, religion, or any other improper characteristic."
A lawyer for the Raiders said that the two were fired because of their lack of leadership and that they wanted to fill the positions with people they could trust.
Joey Clinkscales and Shaun Herock ended up replacing Kebric and Kingdon. Both men were in their 40s at the time they were hired.
This is second lawsuit involving the Raiders in less than a year that was resolved.
In September, the team agreed to pay ex-cheerleaders $1.25 million after being sued for failing to pay minimum wage, withholding wages and not reimbursing them for their business expenses.
- Scooby Axson
