Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Jon Gruden, is set to receive a full review by the Nevada Supreme Court regarding a lawsuit he filed against the NFL over leaked emails that led to his resignation from the team in 2021. The state’s highest court has announced that all seven justices will reconsider the case after a panel initially split 2-1 in a decision to dismiss it on May 14. Despite not scheduling oral arguments, the court is now revisiting the findings.
In July, the same three justices denied a request from Gruden’s attorneys to reconsider the case. The panel had decided to move the civil suit into arbitration, a decision that two justices supported, citing Gruden’s prior knowledge of the NFL’s arbitration process. However, the dissenting justice argued that it would be inappropriate for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to oversee a case in which he is a defendant. Responses from Gruden’s legal team, Goodell, and the NFL are awaited.
Gruden’s lawsuit alleges that the NFL and Goodell forced the Raiders to terminate his contract by leaking emails containing discriminatory remarks that Gruden made about Goodell and others while working as an ESPN analyst. The NFL appealed to the state Supreme Court after a state judge refused to dismiss the claim outright in May 2022. Gruden claims that the selective release of emails to the media damaged his career and endorsement deals.
Gruden, who previously coached the Raiders in Oakland and led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory, stepped down from his role in November 2021, following the publication of the controversial emails. The lawsuit seeks financial damages for the alleged harm caused by the leaked emails. Gruden’s legal battle with the NFL continues to unfold as both parties await the Nevada Supreme Court’s review of the case.