Isiah Thomas continues to deny wrongdoing in the sexual harassment case involving ex-Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders.
Browne Sanders was hired by the team in 2002 and was later fired in 2006. She sued the team owners (MSG) and then team exec/head coach Thomas alleging sexual harassment. She also claimed she was fired for complaining about the work environment.
Thomas and MSG were found guilty of fostering an environment of harassment. Browne Sanders was awarded $11.6 million by a jury, and the two parties settled for $11.5 million.
Thomas is back working for MSG and now the president of their WNBA team, the New York Liberty. In an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, he continued to deny wrongdoing.
“I will own up to what I did and the mistakes that I made, but I can’t own up to things that I didn’t do,” Thomas told Storm. “… I did not call her derogatory names. Just didn’t happen.”
Though Thomas says he did not harass nor fire Browne Sanders, he takes responsibility for the culture surrounding his team while he was the coach.
“I take full responsibility for the actions and behavior of the Knicks’ players when I was there as president and coach. … I wasn’t the president of Madison Square Garden. I was the president of the New York Knicks. That being said, what went on at Madison Square Garden, if I had any responsibility in it in terms of managing my players, their behavior and actions, again, I take full responsibility for that. But Anucha Browne Sanders didn’t work for me, I didn’t fire her, we didn’t work in the same place, and Madison Square Garden has taken full responsibility for their environment and what happened there.”
Thomas was not found personally liable by the jury. Browne Sanders was awarded her settlement based on the environment of harassment and being fired for complaining about it.
Even at the time of the settlement, Thomas denied personal wrongdoing.
“As I have said before, I am completely innocent,” Thomas said in 2007. “This decision doesn’t change that. However, this is the best course for Madison Square Garden, and I fully support it.”
Now that he is back working for MSG, there was some belief that Thomas might end up with the Knicks again. Current team president Phil Jackson was said to be very fearful of that possibility.
