His co-workers called him "Pants DJ." He would sit at his desk in the Dallas Mavericks ticket sales office, stare at pornographic images on his cellphone or computer and rub himself below his belt line.
He'd often call co-workers over to show them pictures on his phone that he'd taken of women in lingerie, topless or naked. He once dropped a used condom onto the office floor.
This pattern of behavior, described by seven current and former Mavericks employees who spoke to The Dallas Morning News on the condition of anonymity, continued for six years despite a warning from owner Mark Cuban that he stop viewing pornography on his office computer.
The senior account executive, who worked for the Mavericks for 15 years, was one of the central figures who helped cultivate a sexually charged work environment in the NBA franchise's corporate office, according to the current and former employees interviewed by The News.
Despite this behavior, five of the former employees said they never formally complained to human resources because they believed the actions were common knowledge and generally accepted by superiors.
The story of Chris Hyde's tenure with the Mavericks, which ended when he was fired in 2014, provides more insight into misbehavior first exposed by a Sports Illustrated report in February. It also shows that Cuban knew more about misconduct in the workplace than had been previously reported.
Cuban declined to comment on the record about the allegations against Hyde, citing a continuing investigation initiated by the Mavericks in the wake of the SI report. He referred questions to new CEO Cynthia Marshall.
"As readers of the DMN know, we cannot comment because of the ongoing investigation," Marshall said by email. "It has been previously stated that the employee referenced was terminated years ago."
After the SI report, the Mavericks quickly hired Marshall, a 58-year-old, high-profile human resources executive who had a 36-year career at AT&T, to clean up the non-basketball operations side of the organization.
The Mavericks also made two other hires: Tarsha LaCour, a Houston native and product of Texas A&M, as senior vice president of human resources; and Cyndee Wales, a Californian who has been in Texas for 10 years, as chief ethics and compliance officer.
"As I mentioned in the February 26th press conference, we will respond swiftly to the investigators' findings," Marshall said. "They are conducting a thorough investigation and we are anxiously awaiting their report. In the meantime, we are executing on our 100-day plan and ensuring that the Dallas Mavericks is a great place to work for all."
Hyde did not respond to repeated phone messages requesting comment for this story. A reporter from The News twice went to Hyde's Dallas apartment and left messages that went unreturned. Additionally, The News mailed a letter to Hyde's home address asking for comment on the allegations against him.
Jeff Anderson, a Dallas-area lawyer who said he is advising Hyde, would not comment on Hyde's behavior. He issued the following statement in response to the The News' letter:
"Mr. Hyde has always been treated fairly by the Mavericks. That did not stop during or after the process of his separation from the organization."
