Nevada Supreme Court Allows Jon Gruden’s Lawsuit Against NFL to Proceed Publicly in Major Ruling

In Las Vegas, the Nevada Supreme Court has made a significant ruling concerning former NFL coach Jon Gruden. The court, in a unanimous 7-0 decision, has rejected the NFL’s request to rehear a prior decision that would allow Gruden’s lawsuit against the league to proceed in public.

This ruling marks another notable victory for Gruden, who initially filed the lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell back in 2021. Gruden contends that a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” was undertaken to ruin his career, due to the leaking of old emails that featured offensive language. This lawsuit came shortly after Gruden stepped down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

In August, the Nevada Supreme Court had previously ruled in favor of Gruden in a 5-2 decision, stating that the NFL’s arbitration clause did not apply to Gruden because he was no longer an employee of the league when he filed the lawsuit. The court classified the arbitration process as “unconscionable,” allowing the case to move forward in public rather than in private arbitration, which the NFL preferred.

The NFL’s Constitution gives the commissioner broad powers to arbitrate disputes involving league members and employees, but the court concluded that Gruden’s status as a former employee exempted him from this clause. The judges did not take a position on the validity of Gruden’s claims.

Despite the NFL’s hopes that this case would remain confidential, the league’s attempts to appeal the decision have been denied. They can still seek to take the matter to the Supreme Court of the United States, but it is crucial to note that the Supreme Court typically hears a limited number of cases each year.

The origins of this controversy stem from a series of emails, first revealed by various outlets. One email, dating back to 2011, showed Gruden using a racially charged term while discussing the then-president of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith. Other reports highlighted emails from 2010 to 2018 that included vulgar language directed at Goodell, along with misogynistic and homophobic comments.

Gruden, now 62, has expressed interest in returning to coaching, possibly at the college level. His history includes 15 seasons in the NFL, coaching the Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even winning a Super Bowl in 2002. Gruden has a career coaching record of 117 wins and 112 losses.