Hazing Gone Wild: Failure to Stop Football Team Hazing, Penn State Sued

On January 13, 2020, former Penn State football player Isaiah Humphries filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against teammate Damion Barber and head coach James Franklin. Humphries alleges that he and some of his teammates were subjected to harassment, sexual hazing, and abuse at the hands of Barber and other upperclassmen teammates In addition, Humphries states that the coaching staff was aware of the hazing and did nothing to stop it.

Humphries’ complaint states that, on multiple …

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Barstool Sports in Hot Water with National Labor Relations Board

On January 27, 2020, a complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that Barstool Sports “engaged in and is engaging in unfair labor practices within the meaning of section 8(a), subsections (1) of the National Labor Relations Act.” While the complaint is devoid of facts regarding Barstool’s alleged violation(s), it is suspected that the unfair labor practices took place on January 22, 2020, during Episode 22 of The Kirk Minihane Show, a popular Barstool Sports podcast.

During the podcast, Minihane …

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Fore! Jack Nicklaus Sues Maker of Golf Training Technology for Trademark Infringement

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has sued PowerPro Sports LLC, alleging that they are unlawfully using his likeness and trademarks without his permission to promote a product.

Nicklaus Companies LLC, Jack Nicklaus’ corporate vehicle, has sued PowerPro in Florida federal court. PowerPro makes the Powerchute golf training technology, which the company claims improves golf swing through the use of aerodynamic drag. Nicklaus argues that PowerPro violated his right of publicity under Florida law, as well as violated the federal Lanham Act by engaging in false endorsement, …

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Hockey Player Sues Equipment Company, Claims Visor was Defective

Ian Hermann, a former junior hockey player, has sued the equipment company, HockeyTron, alleging that he was injured when a visor shattered on his face after being struck by a puck.

In October 2019, Hermann brought suit in the 429th District Court of Collin County, Texas, alleging claims of product liability, breach of implied warranty, and negligence against HockeyTron. Hermann said that he purchased a Tron S30 Helmet Visor since it was marketed as being strong enough to protect the wearer from puck and …

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Small Quebec Hockey Company in Legal Battle with Hockey Giant

A potential legal battle in the Quebec Superior Court is brewing between two hockey manufacturing companies and has been dubbed a commercial struggle between David and Goliath. Équipements de gardien de but Michel Lefebvre (EGB) is a Terrebonne, Quebec, family-owned and operated hockey manufacturing company that has been making elite goalie equipment since the 1970s. Some of the most renowned NHL goalies of recent memory–including Ken Dryden, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Roberto Luongo, Marc-André Fleury, and Carey Price–have used EGB goalie …

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Former MLB Prospect Sues Yankees for $34 Million

Garrison Lassiter was selected by the New York Yankees in the 27th round of the 2008 MLB draft out of West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. The Yankees gave him a $675,000 signing bonus. In five minor league seasons, Lassiter never played above high-A ball and hit just .244 with four home runs and 73 RBI in 235 games.

In December 2008, Lassiter filed a pro se lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against the New …

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Signs and Signals and Trashcans, Oh My! Astros Cheating Scheme Exposed

Sports scandals are not a foreign concept to fans, players, coaches, owners, and the like. For example, on March 2, 2012, the NFL announced it had evidence of the New Orleans Saints’ “bounty system that gave cash rewards for knocking [opposing players] out of games” during the 2009-2011 NFL seasons. Somewhat similar, MLB is experiencing something that, while less dangerous, is just as detrimental to the integrity of the sport.

Baseball catchers use signs and signals to determine what type of pitch will be thrown …

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Federal Judge Rejects Amended Complaint in Ohio State Sexual Assault Case

A federal judge overseeing a sexual assault lawsuit against The Ohio State University (OSU) has denied the plaintiffs’ motion to amend the complaint for the time being, stating that the parties need to focus on mediation.

Hundreds of former athletes and others have filed lawsuits against OSU, alleging that university doctor Richard Strauss, now deceased, sexually abused or assaulted them. In May 2019, law firm Perkins Coie LLP released an investigative report concluding that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 men during his tenure at …

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Second Circuit Throws Ex-NFL Player’s Marijuana De-Scheduling Lawsuit into Peril

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals told ex-NFL player Marvin Washington and other medical marijuana patients that it would not give them more time to ask the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to de-schedule marijuana.

In 2017, Washington and a group of cannabis patients sued then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, seeking marijuana legalization at the federal level. While numerous states have legalized both medical and recreational marijuana, it is still illegal under federal law, where it is classified as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD. …

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St. Louis Returns to Supreme Court, Argues That Rams Lawsuit Does Not Belong in Arbitration

The city of St. Louis and its stadium authority told the U.S. Supreme Court that it should not take an appeal filed by the Los Angeles Rams and their owner, Stan Kroenke. The city argues that the Rams’ relocation lawsuit belongs in court.

In April 2017, the city and county of St. Louis joined the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority in a lawsuit against the Rams, Kroenke, and the NFL. The St. Louis entities claimed that the defendants failed to follow NFL …

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