On Wednesday, February 4, the Oakland Raiders were named victor in an age discrimination lawsuit brought by two former scouts claiming they were fired with discriminatory intent.
Oakland Raiders national scout Bruce Kebric and director of college scouting Jon Kingdon brought the age discrimination lawsuit after they were fired back in 2012. When longtime owner Al Davis died in late 2011, his son, Mark Davis, took control of the franchise. Davis hired Reggie McKenzie as general manager, and the two set their sights on ending the long streak of losing seasons that has plagued the team for the last decade. Scouts Kebric and Kingdon were casualties to the reshuffling of the front office.
Kebric, age 68, and Kingdon, age 59, sued the team after they were fired, claiming they were discriminated against because of their age. The Raiders argued they were fired for a lack of leadership and the team wanted trustworthy people in those positions. The former scouts, seeking $3 million in lost wages and future earnings were unable to garner the sympathy of the jury who deliberated for about 3 hours and returned a verdict in favor of the Oakland Raiders.
With this dispute behind them, the Raiders released a statement thanking the jury and stating
“[t]he Raiders are proud of our long history of equal opportunity employment without regard for race, gender, age, religion, or any other improper characteristic.”