Gruden wins court ruling in NFL suit

Decision may enable ex-Raiders coach to proceed in case versus league over emails.

- By STEVE HENSON

JON GRUDEN'S resignation as coach exempted him from arbitration run by Roger Goodell, a court ruled.

Jon Gruden won a skirmish Monday in his civil lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell that has been plodding through a state court for four years.

The Nevada Supreme Court determined in a 5-2 ruling that Gruden was not required by the NFL to participate in arbitration overseen by Goodell, who is a defendant in the lawsuit alleging that a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” was used to destroy Gruden’s coaching career by leaking offensive emails he had sent years earlier.

The court said that the NFL's attempt to force Gruden into arbitration was “unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.”

Gruden’s resignation as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2021 made him exempt from a provision in the NFL Constitution mandating arbitration, the court ruled.

“If the NFL Constitution were to bind former employees, the Commissioner could essentially pick and choose which disputes to arbitrate,” the ruling stated.