Warren Glover, 50, was fired as a security director in July, after ten years with the N.B.A., despite a glowing performance record, a recently filed lawsuit alleges (filed in New York State Supreme Court). However, after raising complaints of sexual harassment by his supervisor on behalf of women who were demeaned and harassed, Glover became the target of retaliation.
Glover, a former lieutenant commander for the New York Police Department joined the N.B.A.’s security team in 2001 and was promoted to director in 2004. He was in charge of security planning for several major events, including the N.B.A. finals, the draft, the Hall of Fame ceremony and the All-Star weekend Jam Session, which draws more than 100,000 fans.
In his lawsuit Glover maintains that his performance reviews were consistently positive until 2007, when he was given his lowest score, after making the following complaints:
- An employee named Selman Allsop complained that she was subjected to offensive verbal remarks from another security director, John Daniels, after she rebuffed his unwelcome advance.
- Another employee, Laurie McMurray reported that Daniels had displayed pornographic material on his computer and had made offensive and intimidating remarks. She brought these concerns to the Senior Director of Security, Gregory Robinson who refused to act, even when Glover reported it.
- Glover’s administrative assistant complained about Bernard Tolbert, the league’s former senior vice- president of security, who was Glover’s immediate supervisor, and in a sexual harassment lawsuit that she brought, Glover testified on her behalf.
When Glover supported the complaints raised by women in his department he became the problem. In fact, he allegedly received a veiled threat from Tolbert that anyone who informed McMurray about Allsop’s previous allegations against Daniels would be fired. That summer, Glover received the lowest ever evaluation. Glover was also denied a promotion because he supported the complaints of women who had complained about a sexually hostile environment.
This is classic retaliation, where a person is punished for doing what the policies direct them to do—report sexual harassment. The termination of Mr. Glover was supposed to serve as a warning to others, don’t report high-level personnel, bury complaints of sexual harassment, and keep silent.
Glover, who lives in Queens, said he was still looking for work. He is living off his police pension, which he earned after 20 years with the department. In an interview, Glover said the sexual harassment problem in the N.B.A.’s security department goes pretty far and remains unresolved.
He is a courageous plaintiff, and a hero to those he tried to support and is a symbol of someone who spoke up to stop sexual harassment knowing he was the target of retaliation. He is a true leader.
