Manager sues Mavericks for firing him after sexual harassment

The former general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Donnie Nelson, sued the NBA franchise on Thursday, claiming that owner Mark Cuban fired him for reporting the chief of staff after he allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted his nephew during a job interview in 2020.

The lawsuit also claims that Cuban offered Nelson $52 million to withdraw his wrongful termination complaint and sign a confidentiality statement related to his nephew's alleged harassment and abuse.

Nelson says Jason Lutin, described as Cuban's "right-hand man" in the lawsuit, assaulted and harassed his nephew in a hotel room during the weekend of the 2020 All-Star Game in Chicago.

Escándalo total en Dallas Mavericks: Donnie Nelson (ex GM) demandó a la franquicia acusando a Mark Cuban de despedirlo despues de que Nelson reportara que su sobrino había sido acosado sexualmente por un colaborador de Cuban. pic.twitter.com/bJAmT1rtcY

— Historias de NBA (@nba_historias) March 17, 2022

Unbeknownst to Nelson, Cuban reached a confidential settlement with the individual, according to the lawsuit accessed by ESPN. "I filed this lawsuit on behalf of my family and all Mavericks employees who have experienced harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace," Nelson said in a statement.

The Mavericks also issued a statement in which they said the allegations against the club executive "were immediately and thoroughly investigated by outside investigators and an attorney and were determined to be fabricated."

The Dallas Mavericks have issued a press release on behalf of former Maverick Shawn Bradley as well as statements from Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson. pic.twitter.com/F9fCtlZ1zJ

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 17, 2021

The team claimed that Nelson "refused to cooperate with investigators looking into his conduct. Nelson's claims of being fired in retaliation are totally unfounded, and the lawsuit filed today is baseless and full of lies."

"The Mavs have always attempted to keep private the inappropriate actions of Donnie Nelson that led to his termination," the team concluded.