Warren Moon, a former Edmonton Eskimos star who quarterbacked the team to five Grey Cup championships in the 1970s and 1980s, is facing allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct in a civil lawsuit filed this week by a woman who worked for a sports marketing firm that lists him as its president.
A statement of claim filed on Monday shows Wendy Haskell is suing Moon for unspecified damages for sexual harassment she alleges she endured upon being hired as his executive assistant this summer.
Among the many allegations made in the claim are that she was made to sleep in the same bed as him on business trips and that on one occasion, Moon grabbed her crotch while she was sleeping.
Haskell also alleges Moon would walk into the bathroom while she was showering in hotels on business trips. She said Moon asked her not to lock the door so that he could use the bathroom if he needed to.
Additionally, Haskell alleges Moon once ripped her clothes off despite her objections.
The allegations in the statement of claim have not been tested in court. It’s not clear whether a statement of defence has been filed.
The lawsuit was filed in California against Moon and his company, Sports 1 Marketing, and according to Haskell’s lawyer, the defendants have 30 days to respond upon being served.
Diana Fitzgerald also told Global News she had not pursued criminal charges at this time and that they “have not made a decision as far as the criminal aspect of the case.”
Haskell’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Global News called Sports 1 Marketing twice for comment on Wednesday but on both occasions were told nobody was available to speak.
“We have no comment on this matter,” the Edmonton Eskimos said in an email to Global News responding to a request for comment on the allegations.
Moon works as a radio analyst for the Seattle Seahawks. On Wednesday evening, the team tweeted that it had accepted Moon’s request for a leave of absence.
As an Eskimo, Moon won two Grey Cup MVP awards and became the first professional football player to pass for 5,000 yards in 1982.
In 1984, Moon took his talents to the National Football League where he played parts of 17 seasons with teams in Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
You can view the entire filed complain against Sports 1 Marketing and Warren Moon below:
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