No organization is immune from workplace sexual harassment, even if it is owned by a multi-billionaire who is a media personality. Mark Cuban is a legendary owner of a professional basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks. He also appears on television shows such as the “Shark Tank,” and he is an author and is widely known for the fire and passion he brings to most everything he does.
Mark Cuban has just learned that while he had been juggling so many things across his vast empire, his professional basketball team was reputedly a hotbed of harassment and sexual misconduct. It all came as a surprise to him when he found out, he said it was all new to him, but it’s the kind of stuff that taints a multi-billion-dollar reputation.
When he learned that an investigation had uncovered sexual harassment at the Mavericks, the first thing Cuban did was fire his HR director. Of the charges, Cuban said:
“It’s wrong. It’s abhorrent. It’s not a situation we condone. I can’t tell you how many times, particularly since all this [#MeToo] stuff has been coming out recently I asked our HR director, ‘Do we have a problem? Do we have any issues I have to be aware of?’ And the answer was ‘No.’”
Sports Illustrated Investigation
An investigative reporter for Sports Illustrated, the iconic sports publication, was tipped off by a former employee of the Dallas Mavericks that the atmosphere at the corporate headquarters was like the movie “Animal House.” As the probe deepened, it led back to Mark Cuban. Former employees believe that despite Cuban’s protestations to the contrary, he knew exactly what was going on in his organization and did nothing.
At the heart of the matter is a former executive of the Mavericks organization, Terdema L. Ussery II, who was the former President and CEO. It is claimed that the executive offices were run like a locker room. Though the players were always very respectful, Ussery’s staff was quite the opposite.
Visitors were routinely harassed. It got to point that, Ussery who is a Harvard-trained executive, was allegedly going after women in the elevators. Ussery and other male employees were known for their lewd behavior. As far back at 1998, he was investigated for harassment and the HR director was forced to rewrite the company’s employee’s manual.
In 2010, Ussery’s contract was renewed and despite the allegations he remained with the company until 2014. Still, it was claimed that his pattern of harassment persisted. Said Ussery to Sports Illustrated:
“I am deeply disappointed that anonymous sources have made such outright false and inflammatory accusations against me. During my career with the Mavericks, I have strived to conduct myself with character, integrity and empathy for others.”
However, Ussery was not the only employee named. Mavericks writer Earl K. Sneed. Sneed had been arrested in 2012 for assaulting his girlfriend. Despite that fact, he managed to hold onto his job in the “front office locker room.” Human Resources gave him a pass as did Ussery. Not long after his arrest, Sneed began dating an employee in the Mavericks workplace. He allegedly beat her as well and she reported him to HR. After she filed her report with HR, Cuban caught wind of it and he suspended Sneed and the head of human resources for the Mavericks. Sneed has since been fired and the team has hired an outside legal counsel to conduct its own investigation.
The Dallas Mavericks has just released a report to the NBA on the entire incident. Said the NBA:
“The Dallas Mavericks have informed us of the allegations involving former team president Terdema Ussery and Mavs.com writer Earl Sneed. This alleged conduct runs counter to the steadfast commitment of the NBA and its teams to foster safe, respectful and welcoming workplaces for all employees. Such behavior is completely unacceptable and we will closely monitor the independent investigation into this matter.”
What Did Mark Cuban Know?
What did Mark Cuban know, and when did he know it? It remains the biggest mystery of all. What we do know is that a pattern of misconduct had been in place for many years, and it would appear that either Cuban was never made aware of the problems or he chose to not be aware. In either case, it seems to signal a prime element of scandalous behavior: opportunity.
Ussery, Sneed, the HR director and other executives saw themselves as operating outside of the boss’ (Cuban’s) supervision. They had formed their own club and operated outside of Cuban’s direct supervision. There were no checks and balances, and expectations were all but nonexistent.
I am shaking my head here, but certainly not with amusement. Cuban, who sets himself up as a paragon of entrepreneurship and business passion, could not control sexual harassment within his own organization. Unethical behavior on the part of employees disengaged from positive choices can bring down an entire company. The Mavericks will survive, Cuban will continue to prosper, but his reputation and acumen are tarnished.
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Really sad…as the Mavericks were generally known as a good destination. Even if only some part of the allegations are real, perception is often reality, so there will be a lot to overcome.