Hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon has been accused of sexual harassment by an assistant for his sports marketing firm, according to a lawsuit filed in California.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Monday in Orange County Superior Court. According to court documents, Wendy Haskell alleges Moon made “unwanted and unsolicited” sexual advances as part of her role as his assistant working for Sports 1 Marketing. Moon is the co-founder and president of the company.
Haskell’s attorney, Diane L Fitzgerald, told the Washington Post her client wishes to have her name made public in the suit. “She was expecting to further her career in the sports marketing industry,” Fitzgerald told the Post. “She had no idea that her job duties were going to involve that kind of perverse protocol.”
According to the lawsuit, Haskell was hired as an executive assistant to Moon in the summer of 2017. The lawsuit alleges that Haskell was forced to sleep in the same bed with Moon on business trips while wearing lingerie. Haskell says in the lawsuit that she complained about the arrangement but that Moon responded “this was the way it was.” Additionally, the lawsuit claims Haskell was required to keep the bathroom door unlocked while she showered and Moon repeatedly entered the room.
Haskell also claimed she was drugged by Moon during a trip to Mexico in October. The lawsuit alleges that Moon acknowledged drugging Haskell because he thought she wasn’t “having fun.” She also claims Moon pulled off her swimsuit during the Mexico trip.
The lawsuit claims that Haskell reported Moon’s behaviour to Sports 1 Marketing CEO David Meltzer but the company did not investigate her claims. Haskell claims she was demoted after making the complaints.
The 61-year-old Moon has been working as a radio commentator for the Seattle Seahawks. The team announced later on Wednesday that “we have accepted Warren Moon’s request for a leave of absence as the club’s radio analyst.”
Seattle’s KING 5 TV, which employs Moon as part of its coverage of the Seahawks, said the former player had denied the allegation in a text to one of its hosts.
Moon played parts of 17 seasons in the NFL with Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City. He threw for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns in the regular season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. The former University of Washington star led Edmonton to five Canadian Football League titles before playing in the NFL.
