Mitch Williams, former Major League Baseball pitcher and television broadcaster, has filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, against MLB Network, and the publisher of the sports website Deadspin.com, Gawker Media LLC and Gawker Media Group, Inc.
The suit alleges that in May 2014, Williams was the victim of false and anonymous statements published by Gawker concerning his child’s baseball game. The suit further states that MLB Network, for whom Williams was a broadcaster, reacted to these false and anonymous allegations not by investigating what really happened but instead by forcing Williams to choose between continuing to be paid or attending his children’s sporting events. The suit alleges that when Williams refused to agree to MLB Network’s demand that he not attend any of his children’s sporting events, he was fired.
Specifically, to complaint alleges that MLB Network, which is owned by Major League Baseball and Comcast, threatened Williams with termination unless he signed an amendment to his contract that would have prohibited him from attending the youth sporting events of his five children, including those of his 11-year old autistic son. When he refused to sign away his rights as a father, the complaint alleges that Williams was fired, resulting in MLB Network depriving him of an approximately $2 million contract balance.
As mentioned above, MLB Network’s threats came after anonymous, defamatory articles were published by Deadspin.com (owned by Gawker), which falsely and maliciously accused Williams of potentially criminal conduct in ordering a beanball and using lewd language while coaching his young son’s baseball game in May 2014. Williams alleges that MLB Network ignored both written and video evidence contradicting the baseless accusations.
According to the complaint, as a result of the defamatory statements made about him, the breach of his contract and his wrongful termination, Williams has also lost jobs with MLB.com, The Sports Network (“TSN”) and FOX Sports. The complaint specifies that Williams is seeking judgment against MLB Network and Gawker for an award of damages.
Williams is represented by Laura Carlin Mattiacci and Stephen G. Console of Console Law Offices LLC, an employment rights law firm with offices in Philadelphia and Moorestown, NJ.
