Report: Former Cavs Assistant Coach Suing Team for Discrimination

Published by

Brad Sullivan

8 years ago

Former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jim Boylan has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the team.

Boylan served as an assistant for five seasons before being dismissed by the team back in June. Among other charges, Boyland claims that former Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue was the person who informed him of the organization’s decision.

Ben Axelrod of WKYC.com reported on the information that came from court documents related to the litigation. Those documents charge that Lue told the 63-year-old Boylan that the decision to fire him had come from both team owner Dan Gilbert and general manager Koby Altman.

The lawsuit charges that the Cavaliers:

“Discriminate against employees and candidates for employment on the basis of age with respect to hiring, renewal, termination, pay, raises, benefits, and in terms and conditions of employment.”

In addition, Boylan is alleging that favoritism exists within the Cavaliers’ hiring process:

“Defendants discriminatorily favor younger less qualified candidates and employees over substantially older employees.”

Boylan and another former Cavs assistant Phil Handy were let go by the team, with Handy having since been signed as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.

The Cavaliers have yet to issue a statement on the lawsuit, but will presumably not comment on the pending litigation.

Brad Sullivan

Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.