The Dallas Mavericks allegedly failed to properly investigate a sexual assault allegation against director of player personnel Tony Ronzone in 2019, Sports Illustrated reported on Wednesday.
The Mavericks provided a statement to the New York Times, accusing Sports Illustrated of "one-sided, incomplete and sensational" journalism.
According to the article, a woman under the pseudonym Sarah, claimed that Ronzone forcibly pinned her to her bed in a Las Vegas hotel room, kissed her, and attempted to put his hand down her pants _ all against her will. Sarah was in Vegas for the 2019 Summer League and went to Ronzone's hotel room because he had promised to get her game tickets, the article states.
The article notes that Sarah had contacted Mark Cuban and the Mavericks last September and the incident was investigated according to the Mavericks and that Ronzone remains with the team because "there was no evidence present of sexual assault."
In the statement to the New York Times, the Mavericks said they never received a sworn statement from the woman.
"Sports Illustrated has the sworn statements," the Mavericks' statement reads. "Her attorneys have the sworn statements. She even offered to give the sworn statements to a neutral party, like the NBA. However, she chose not to provide the Mavericks the sworn statements that she felt were so important and claims could have changed the conclusion of the Mavericks' investigation. A fundamental element of fairness and due process is that both sides get to see all the evidence."
The new allegation comes two years after Sports Illustrated published an article citing sexual harassment and workplace misconduct that had gone on for 20 years, which resulted in the termination of team president and CEO Terdema Ussery and Mavericks insider Earl K. Sneed.
Shortly after the 2018 scandal rocked the front office, the Mavericks named Cynthia Marshall as their new CEO. Marshall was tasked with handling the fallout of the allegations.
"We are committed to running a business of excellence," said Marshall to Black Enterprise. "Clearly we have work to do, and I walk in knowing that there's a lot that I don't know. But I do know how to lead, and how to effect necessary change in an organization."
Two weeks after the Mavericks publicly released an investigation report in response to the SI report, the Dallas Morning News uncovered allegations of sexual harassment by four former employees against Mavericks photographer Danny Bollinger, who was fired after the News reported the story.
