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The Detroit Tigers organization is facing renewed scrutiny this week, about six months after eight men employed by the team’s parent company and broadcast partners were tied to harassment toward women within the workplace.
The Athletic, which first reported the allegations in September, followed up on Tuesday, March 24, with new information suggesting that red flags may have been ignored, and that one unnamed former "longtime Tigers employee" who raised concerns in a Feb. 9 email to a supervisor, was fired.
The report said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment − the combined business operation for the Tigers and the NHL's Detroit Red Wings − had defended the organization while also "encouraging transparency and accountability."
However, after a Tigers employee wrote Feb. 9 in a roughly 2,000-word email to a supervisor, according to The Athletic, "why he believed interim vice president of game presentation and fan experience Matt Coy was eroding morale, creating conflicts and making some employees feel uncomfortable," the employee was let go days later.
[ First look at projected Tigers starting lineup – with Kevin McGonigle ]
This raises questions about how much transparency and accountability there actually has been from the Tigers, since parting with six of the eight men tied to last year's allegations. Coy is not a Tigers employee, the club told the Free Press.
He is instead, The Athletic reported, vice president of experience for a company called Cuento, a San Diego, California-based marketing agency used by IS+E and other MLB teams for work for both the Tigers and the Red Wings.
IS+E pays Cuento for work in game presentation, marketing and video production.
"IS+E is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful work environment," the Tigers told the Free Press, repeating the statement sent to The Athletic, on Tuesday. They added that "upon learning of a concern involving an individual employed by a longtime outside vendor, we immediately investigated the matter and promptly notified the vendor."
Cuento's marketing agency's co-founder, Wayne Partello, told the Free Press the firm takes "all employee and client concerns seriously and remain committed to providing a professional environment for everyone who works with our teams."
He also said that "as soon as we were made aware of a concern involving one of our employees, we cooperated with IS+E and promptly initiated our own investigation, which did not substantiate claims of inappropriate behavior."
IS+E employees who worked with Coy, The Athletic report said, were told in a March meeting he would start to work remotely.
"My primary concern is the involvement of Matt Coy and Cuento," the employee wrote in his email, according to The Athletic. Coy "has consistently shown a lack of professionalism and leadership, lack of respect for others, has eroded all teamwork and collaboration, has not been present or engaged, and has not contributed anything meaningful from a creative ideation standpoint, all while lowering morale to an all-time low."
WHAT HAPPENED: Detroit Tigers executives accused of misconduct toward women
Coy, The Athletic report said, has been accused of making "unwanted physical contact with female employees by placing his hands on their shoulders." He also allegedly "screamed in a woman’s face."
The employee, the report said, wrote he didn’t "wish to leave the Tigers," but could "no longer continue in the circumstances and toxic culture that we are currently experiencing," and felt it was his "duty as a leader to raise these concerns."
Soon afterward, The Athletic report said, "the employee was informed on a call with a supervisor and a human resources representative that the email had been interpreted as his resignation letter."
However, the email was not the first time issues about Coy were brought up by employees.
The Athletic story reported a Sept. 29 meeting was held for IS+E employees about integrating Cuento, which would be leading the Tigers’ potential home postseason games in October. The meeting, according to three people The Athletic spoke with, sparked an airing of grievances about Cuento and, more specifically, Coy.
There are ties between Gustafson, Cuento and Coy dating back before their work in Detroit.
Cuento reportedly began consulting with the Tigers in 2022, Gustafson’s first year with IS+E. He overlapped with its co-founders, Partello and Katie Jackson, during his San Diego Padres tenure in 2013-16 − where Coy was senior director of content and presentation in 2015-17.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers employee cut loose after reporting misconduct
Continue reading...
The Athletic, which first reported the allegations in September, followed up on Tuesday, March 24, with new information suggesting that red flags may have been ignored, and that one unnamed former "longtime Tigers employee" who raised concerns in a Feb. 9 email to a supervisor, was fired.
The report said Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment − the combined business operation for the Tigers and the NHL's Detroit Red Wings − had defended the organization while also "encouraging transparency and accountability."
However, after a Tigers employee wrote Feb. 9 in a roughly 2,000-word email to a supervisor, according to The Athletic, "why he believed interim vice president of game presentation and fan experience Matt Coy was eroding morale, creating conflicts and making some employees feel uncomfortable," the employee was let go days later.
[ First look at projected Tigers starting lineup – with Kevin McGonigle ]
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This raises questions about how much transparency and accountability there actually has been from the Tigers, since parting with six of the eight men tied to last year's allegations. Coy is not a Tigers employee, the club told the Free Press.
He is instead, The Athletic reported, vice president of experience for a company called Cuento, a San Diego, California-based marketing agency used by IS+E and other MLB teams for work for both the Tigers and the Red Wings.
IS+E pays Cuento for work in game presentation, marketing and video production.
"IS+E is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful work environment," the Tigers told the Free Press, repeating the statement sent to The Athletic, on Tuesday. They added that "upon learning of a concern involving an individual employed by a longtime outside vendor, we immediately investigated the matter and promptly notified the vendor."
Cuento's marketing agency's co-founder, Wayne Partello, told the Free Press the firm takes "all employee and client concerns seriously and remain committed to providing a professional environment for everyone who works with our teams."
He also said that "as soon as we were made aware of a concern involving one of our employees, we cooperated with IS+E and promptly initiated our own investigation, which did not substantiate claims of inappropriate behavior."
IS+E employees who worked with Coy, The Athletic report said, were told in a March meeting he would start to work remotely.
"My primary concern is the involvement of Matt Coy and Cuento," the employee wrote in his email, according to The Athletic. Coy "has consistently shown a lack of professionalism and leadership, lack of respect for others, has eroded all teamwork and collaboration, has not been present or engaged, and has not contributed anything meaningful from a creative ideation standpoint, all while lowering morale to an all-time low."
WHAT HAPPENED: Detroit Tigers executives accused of misconduct toward women
Coy, The Athletic report said, has been accused of making "unwanted physical contact with female employees by placing his hands on their shoulders." He also allegedly "screamed in a woman’s face."
The employee, the report said, wrote he didn’t "wish to leave the Tigers," but could "no longer continue in the circumstances and toxic culture that we are currently experiencing," and felt it was his "duty as a leader to raise these concerns."
Soon afterward, The Athletic report said, "the employee was informed on a call with a supervisor and a human resources representative that the email had been interpreted as his resignation letter."
However, the email was not the first time issues about Coy were brought up by employees.
The Athletic story reported a Sept. 29 meeting was held for IS+E employees about integrating Cuento, which would be leading the Tigers’ potential home postseason games in October. The meeting, according to three people The Athletic spoke with, sparked an airing of grievances about Cuento and, more specifically, Coy.
There are ties between Gustafson, Cuento and Coy dating back before their work in Detroit.
Cuento reportedly began consulting with the Tigers in 2022, Gustafson’s first year with IS+E. He overlapped with its co-founders, Partello and Katie Jackson, during his San Diego Padres tenure in 2013-16 − where Coy was senior director of content and presentation in 2015-17.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers employee cut loose after reporting misconduct
Continue reading...
