Jon Gruden Sues NFL, Roger Goodell Over Leaked Emails in WFT Investigation

Former Raiders coach alleges league orchestrated his ouster

The Washington Football Team investigation in its workplace culture which ultimately cost Jon Gruden his job is taking a new turn with the former Las Vegas Raiders coach now suing the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, for orchestrating his ouster.

The release of emails that included misogynistic, racist and anti-LGBTQ language from Gruden to former Washington team president Bruce Allen led to Gruden’s resignation in October.

Gruden accuses the league and commissioner of a “malicious and orchestrated campaign,” in which they “sought to destroy the career and reputation” of the former Raiders coach in the suit filed in Clark County, Nev.

The emails were reviewed as part of the league’s workplace misconduct investigation into the Washington Football Team that cost the franchise $10 million fine. More than 650,000 emails were reviewed, from 2010-18.

In this emails, Gruden used a racist trope to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, claimed the league pressured the Rams to draft Michael Sam – the first openly gay draft-eligible player in NFL history – and used homophobic language to describe Goodell.

Gruden’s attorney Adam Hosmer-Henner released a statement that the complaint “alleges that the defendants selectively leaked Gruden’s private correspondence to The Wall Street Journal and New York Times in order to harm Gruden’s reputation and force him out of his job.”

Hosmer-Henner told the via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “There is no explanation or justification for why Gruden’s emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL’s investigation of the Washington Football Team or for why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders’ season.”

The NFL has released a statement in rebuttal, calling the allegations “entirely meritless.”

Washington (2-6) plays host to defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) on Sunday.