Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis has been sued for sexual harassment by a woman who claims that he sexually harassed and stalked her for a period of about a month beginning in November 2010. The lawsuit against Ellis, filed in the Alameda County Courthouse on Wednesday, names Ellis and the Warriors as defendants, as well as Golden State owners Peter Guber and Joe Lacob and general manager Larry Riley.
Monta Ellis Lawsuit: Former Employee Claims Warriors Covered Up Guard’s Sexual Harassment
Erika Smith, a former Warriors community relations employee, claims that Ellis sent her dozens of unsolicited texts from a “secret cellular telephone” kept by a Golden State equipment manager that he had billed to his grandmother, including a picture of genitalia he claimed was of him. Smith further alleges that Ellis complained to Warriors management about her job performance after she would not reciprocate his attention.
Additionally, Smith alleges that the Warriors — who she believes were informed of Ellis’ texting in January 2011 by Ellis’ wife, Juanika — conspired to protect Ellis and cover up his harassment, by attempting to silence her by asking her to resign and promising her money if she chose to do so and failing to comply with regulations and laws governing investigation of sexual harassment.
Smith is seeking monetary, non-monetary and punitive remedies. No hearing date has been set in the case.
For more on this story and the Warriors, head to Golden State of Mind.
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