Stern: NBA Pleased Knicks Settled Suit

NBA commissioner David Stern said yesterday he will not discipline James Dolan, Isiah Thomas, the Knicks, or Madison Square Garden for their roles in the embarrassing sexual harassment case settled this week with fired executive Anucha Browne Sanders.

"The NBA is pleased that the parties have agreed to a settlement that dismisses the litigation," Stern said in a statement. "I had previously determined not to consider any action against the Knicks while the litigation was still pending, which, with appeals, could have been several years.

"In light of the settlement, which I strongly supported, I have decided to take no further action."

Stern was instrumental in getting the two sides to begin negotiations about a week ago on the $11.5 million settlement, which was finalized Monday. He had previously chided the Knicks and the Garden, saying in his preseason media address that the lawsuit "demonstrates that they’re not a model of intelligent management."

But rather than suspend any executives involved in the federal case, in which a jury decided that Thomas harassed Browne Sanders and Dolan fired her for complaining about it, Stern said he will instead focus on workplace sensitivity training throughout the NBA.

Dolan declined an interview request yesterday and will not say anything publicly about the case beyond a statement Monday in which the Garden called the verdict "a travesty of justice."

Meanwhile, new details emerged yesterday about the financial terms of the settlement, which ends the Garden’s appeal and prevents Browne Sanders from bringing Thomas back to court on the issue jurors couldn’t decide — whether he should be personally liable for damages.

The $11.5 million settlement includes about $4 million in legal fees, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. The verdict called for $11.6 million in punitive damages, plus Browne Sanders’ legal fees, plus whatever compensatory damages U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch might have awarded in a hearing that had been scheduled for tomorrow.

Browne Sanders had been asking for between $4 million and $5 million in compensatory damages.

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