Former Sacramento Kings Player Development Coordinator Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Employees who experience sexual harassment in the workplace have the right to report the misconduct to their employer. Many companies have policies under which the worker may be required to speak to a supervisor or go to human resources.  

An employer then has a duty to investigate the reported harassment and take steps to address the situation. When an employer fails to do anything about the issue, they can be held accountable through a sexual harassment lawsuit. A worker may also have other related causes for legal action, such as wrongful termination or retaliation.

A lawsuit filed against the Sacramento Kings by a former employee in the summer of 2022 illustrates this scenario. The plaintiff alleged sexual harassment, wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation, among other claims.

Sydney Haydel worked for the Kings organization from July 2021 until she was fired in April 2022. She was employed as player development coordinator for the Sacramento Kings and director of operations for the Stockton Kings.

Haydel claimed she was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by her coworker, Akachi Okugo, who was an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings at the time. The alleged harassment occurred during a summer tournament road trip in Las Vegas on August 5, 2021.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Sacramento Superior Court, Okugo, “strongly encouraged” Haydel to join the team and staffers at a party during the NBA Summer League. Okugo allegedly made several unwanted advances toward Haydel, including putting his fingers in her mouth and making unwelcome bodily contact while asking if she had a boyfriend.

The lawsuit claimed the head coach and assistant coach of the Stockton Kings saw the sexual harassment take place, but they did nothing stop it. Haydel later reported the alleged misconduct to her supervisor, who she believed had a duty to take the complaint forward. She feared retaliation if she were to do so herself.

In subsequent days, the human resources department reportedly told Haydel that it was not necessary to take the complaint further. In response, Haydel asked for the Kings organization to implement sexual harassment training as she wanted to ensure staff and players did not engage in such behavior in the future. 

Haydel claimed her concerns went unaddressed for months, and the Kings organization did not take steps to introduce the sexual harassment prevention training program. According to the lawsuit, the inaction led her to experience “serious emotional distress which interfered with her ability to do her job.” She also allegedly had to deal with intimidation from a team member, among other issues.

Haydel was eventually fired on April 11, 2022. She is seeking punitive damages, general damages, medical expenses and other losses in the lawsuit. Okugo is not named as a defendant in the complaint. His employment relationship with the Kings ended in December 2021 for unspecified reasons.

Employees who suffer unlawful behavior at work may sometimes feel powerless, but there is help available. If you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, and your employer did nothing to stop it, or retaliated against you for reporting it, you may have a good legal case.

Contact McCormack Law Firm to speak to a skilled San Francisco employment lawyer. We can help you understand your rights and hold your employer accountable for the harassment.