Jury Rejects Age Discrimination Claim Against St. Louis Rams

[Prime Time]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_48fb77da-12f6-5408-8a2d-7bebdf07e0a2.html

Jury rejects age discrimination claim against St. Louis Rams
By Robert Patrick rpatrick@post-dispatch.com 314-621-5154

ST. LOUIS • A federal jury on Friday found in favor of the St. Louis Rams and against a woman who claimed she was forced out because of her age.

Lory Fabian, 56 at the time, sued the Rams and associated companies in 2012, claiming that she was one of a series of older employees who lost out to “young, inexpensive grinders” who were just starting out in their careers.

In closing arguments in the case Friday morning, lawyer Bradley Winters rejected those claims, saying that Fabian was simply not re-hired when her contract ended in 2011. She wasn't, he told jurors, because of performance issues and the way she dealt with co-workers, starting feuds and refusing to work with one employee.

The Rams loaned Fabian $20,000, interest free, and even allowed her to design her dream job, he said.

Fabian lawyer Edward Kruse said older employees were replaced with interns and that Fabian loved her job and performed it well.

A sexual harassment claim was tossed out by a judge before trial.

Robert Patrick covers federal courts and federal law enforcement for the Post-Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter: @rxpatrick.
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“young, inexpensive grinders” WTH?

 

[tonyl711]

if you are working with a contract and the contract expires, your company has the right to renew or not renew your contract for whatever reason they may have I would think.

 

[Boffo97]

I thought this was going to be about the Todd Hewitt case, who sued on similar grounds.

I wonder if that went forward, because it's always been my theory that he was really let go for being a locker room leak, and that's why the P-D did everything they could to manufacture a scandal out of it.

 

[OnceARam]

How does a case like that even make it to trial?

 

[Sum1]

I thought this was going to be about the Todd Hewitt case, who sued on similar grounds.

I wonder if that went forward, because it's always been my theory that he was really let go for being a locker room leak, and that's why the P-D did everything they could to manufacture a scandal out of it.

He was let go because Spags was a control freak. Same with the long time trainer the year before.

 

[Boffo97]

He was let go because Spags was a control freak. Same with the long time trainer the year before.

That's his side of the story.

Plus, even if Spags was a control freak (and all coaches are to a degree), SO WHAT? Hewitt was an EQUIPMENT MANAGER. Unless Spags wanted to send the team out naked, an EQUIPMENT MANAGER should NEVER be butting heads with the HEAD COACH.

 

[Flipper_336]

Were the grinders bumping as well?

 

[PressureD41]

 

[Pancake]

I felt sorry for Hewitt in the beginning.

 

[RamFan503]

Were the grinders bumping as well?

That's always my litmus test for determining who stays and who goes. I fail to see the problem.

 

[Sum1]

That's his side of the story.

Plus, even if Spags was a control freak (and all coaches are to a degree), SO WHAT? Hewitt was an EQUIPMENT MANAGER. Unless Spags wanted to send the team out naked, an EQUIPMENT MANAGER should NEVER be butting heads with the HEAD COACH.

This is an old discussion. But I know the Hewitt family. "His side" of the story was that Spags disapproved of the way Todd did things. Todd would tell him he'd do it however he wanted with no discourse.

Having played ball with the Hewitts and interacting with Todd I know he has good character. I also work with the Rams and have been told by many employees that it was stressful working under Spags and that it is much better around Jeff Fisher.

...but anyway, it doesn't change anything and Todd Hewitt and his son are both employed by USC doing the same job.

For myself personally, I do happen to think it is unfortunate that a head coach in the NFL is the person making the decisions on something as silly as the equipment manager. I mean, in the NFL a head coach is likely to only be around 3-5 years...and someone like the Hewitts were part of the Rams organization for decades. It's like any other job, things change and you have to move on...but that doesn't change that it was a pretty bad way to part ways.

 

[Boffo97]

This is an old discussion. But I know the Hewitt family. "His side" of the story was that Spags disapproved of the way Todd did things. Todd would tell him he'd do it however he wanted with no discourse.

Having played ball with the Hewitts and interacting with Todd I know he has good character. I also work with the Rams and have been told by many employees that it was stressful working under Spags and that it is much better around Jeff Fisher.

...but anyway, it doesn't change anything and Todd Hewitt and his son are both employed by USC doing the same job.

For myself personally, I do happen to think it is unfortunate that a head coach in the NFL is the person making the decisions on something as silly as the equipment manager. I mean, in the NFL a head coach is likely to only be around 3-5 years...and someone like the Hewitts were part of the Rams organization for decades. It's like any other job, things change and you have to move on...but that doesn't change that it was a pretty bad way to part ways.

Since you personally know the guy, obviously there's nothing I can say that's going to make you change your mind.

So we'll agree to disagree on this.

But if his suit moves forward, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams do reveal he was a locker room leak.

 

[Sum1]

Since you personally know the guy, obviously there's nothing I can say that's going to make you change your mind.

So we'll agree to disagree on this.

But if his suit moves forward, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams do reveal he was a locker room leak.

Oh, I'd bet not. Spags was the one who made the decision and everyone you talk to that knows Todd at the Rams have nothing but good things to say about him.

Whether or not he "leaked" info I have no idea...but I honestly don't think that really played into the decision that was made.


...and just for fun, here is this.

“The Equipment Department is a very important aspect of an NFL franchise. Players spend so much time in and around the equipment and locker room personnel it is critical to have the right people there. Believe me: Todd Hewitt and his staff were and are the right people. The hours these guys put in are way beyond a normal work day. I never heard Todd complain! He has great integrity, so you can always trust that he will do what is right for all the right reasons. If I return to coaching, I would ask Todd to come with me."
Head Coach Dick Vermeil, 2011.

 

[RamFan503]

Well... wasn't Spags from Boston? Just sayin'

 

[Boffo97]

Oh, I'd bet not. Spags was the one who made the decision and everyone you talk to that knows Todd at the Rams have nothing but good things to say about him.

Whether or not he "leaked" info I have no idea...but I honestly don't think that really played into the decision that was made.


...and just for fun, here is this.

“The Equipment Department is a very important aspect of an NFL franchise. Players spend so much time in and around the equipment and locker room personnel it is critical to have the right people there. Believe me: Todd Hewitt and his staff were and are the right people. The hours these guys put in are way beyond a normal work day. I never heard Todd complain! He has great integrity, so you can always trust that he will do what is right for all the right reasons. If I return to coaching, I would ask Todd to come with me."
Head Coach Dick Vermeil, 2011.

The natural question then is why wouldn't he be offered the job back once Spags left.

The main reason I find it curious is that all the P-D folks tried to make it a huge deal out of this supposedly because of tradition and all that... even though Jeff Gordon, in one of his previous chats, essentially said "Why should I care about the Los Angeles history of the Rams? I'm a St. Louis guy." Hewitt being a locker room leak answers that question.

But, as I said, you're decided on this no matter what I (and others, even if they haven't chimed in here yet) say. So all we can do is agree to disagree and see if his lawsuit ever results in anything. I don't think it will.

 

[ChrisW]

"A sexual harassment claim was tossed out by a judge before trial."

This set the tone for the whole trial....bullshit!

 

[jjab360]

I thought this was going to be about the Todd Hewitt case, who sued on similar grounds.

I wonder if that went forward, because it's always been my theory that he was really let go for being a locker room leak, and that's why the P-D did everything they could to manufacture a scandal out of it.

I agree Boffo. There were a ton of employees that were let go, why make such a big deal out of a lone equipment manager that no one ever noticed before? Because that equipment manager was the last "inside" source the PD had in the Rams, that's why. Notice the steep decline in inside stories afterwards, we almost always get the big stories broken by national news like ESPN or NFL Network nowadays, the best Bernie can do to stay alive is recycle the exact same Bradford article over and over reworded slightly different every time.

It seems like something that every former HC knew but sort of put up with and knew to keep him away from certain areas, but Spags being the "control freak" that he is, decided to not put up a façade that he was okay with a snitch in the locker room and just let him go. Notice that nothing but straight venom came from the PD in his direction from that incident until the day he was fired. Can't believe so many people fell for the "poor hard working citizen just doing his job fired for no reason" shtick.

 

[RamFan503]

I dunno. Spags was kind of an odd character. I was behind him all the way while he was here but this one seemed a bit strange. Maybe Todd leaked info but I actually doubt that. He was a Rams lifer. He probably still bleeds blue and gold. At the time though, there was so much shit going on at Rams park. The old front office and ownership was on its way out - thank God. Spags was a first time HC with what I viewed as confidence issues. He tried to demonstrate that he was not only in charge but that there was going to be a change in mindset in some pretty questionable ways. Remember the eliminating of some of the pictures around the facilities? I got the feeling the firing of Todd was more about showing that no one was guaranteed a job around there. Unless Todd had it out for Spags, I can't see him leaking stuff to the press. He was there too long and had too much of a history with the club. Now if he did indeed leak stuff, what would it be (as an equipment manager) that would be so secret that it was a real issue? If it was leaking that we wanted J. Jones, for example, why the hell would he know that info? I'd put that on someone higher up who said something in front of the wrong people. I don't see where Todd would be around to glean any more info than everyone else in the locker room - even the towel boy.

 

[RamFan503]

Can't believe so many people fell for the "poor hard working citizen just doing his job fired for no reason" shtick.

You mean except for the possibility that he really was? I think it's pretty easy to conceive. Fire the equipment manager that has been there for that many years and not really give a reason? That's a real WTF moment and it happened at a time IIRC that not a whole lot else was going on. For me it was a real jump the shark moment in hind sight. You don't expect the jackals in the press to jump all over that? Bernie has such skewed penis envy it ain't funny. I would expect nothing else.

 

[CGI_Ram]

If Todd was leaking info, and otherwise being disloyal to the HC doing things "his way", I'd fire his ass too.