Brandon Cooper, a former minor league umpire, is suing Major League Baseball, claiming a female colleague both sexually harassed him and used homophobic slurs toward him.
Cooper also says that he was discriminated against, and eventually fired, because he is bisexual, while also saying that MLB has a “gender and racial diversity issue.”
The suit says that Gina Quartararo, who currently umpires in the Florida State League, made crude remarks toward Cooper after finding out about his sexual orientation.
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Cooper also said he told Billy Bean, MLB’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, that Quartararo’s harassment was also physical.
When Cooper notified Dusty Dellinger, senior manager of umpire administration, of the misconduct, he was told he had to go to sensitivity training and was accused of violating the minor league anti-discrimination and harassment policy, the suit says.
Cooper said he was skipped for the playoffs and fired in October, and he claimed he was the only one let go from among 26 umpires in the group that was hired.
The lawsuit says that Cooper was told that the league had to include at least two women among 10 new hires, and women and minority candidates had to be hired first.
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“Historically the MLB has had a homogenous roster of umpires working in both the minor and major leagues,” the suit claimed. “Specifically, to date there has never been a woman who has worked in a (regular) season game played in the majors, and most umpires are still Caucasian men. To try to fix its gender and racial diversity issue, defendants have implemented an illegal diversity quota requiring that women be promoted regardless of merit.”
“This lawsuit should serve as a wake-up call to Major League Baseball and the sports industry at large, reminding them that inclusion and respect are not optional, but fundamental principles that must be upheld without compromise,” said Bennitta Joseph, senior partner at Joseph & Norinsberg, via Outsports. “Mr. Cooper’s courageous stand against discrimination will pave the way for a more equitable and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ individuals in professional sports.”
MLB declined to comment to the AP, citing pending litigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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