New York Knicks owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden are asking the United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit to dismiss an appeal filed by Charles Oakley for an incident at MSG in February 2017.
Oakley filed a lawsuit against Dolan and MSG for assault, battery and defamation. The lawsuit was dismissed in federal court in February, as it “failed to support a plausible legal claim that could meet federal legal standards.”
Dolan and MSG hope that Oakley’s appeal will now be rejected.
Oakley’s claim that he was embarrassed was not sufficient to establish an injury and the force used was objectively reasonable – a conclusion that does not require a jury – Dolan, MSG Networks Inc. and two affiliated companies said in a short filing Monday in the United States Court of Appeals for the second circuit. ~ through Bloomberg’s law
Oakley, who played ten seasons for the Knicks that preceded the year in which James Dolan took ownership of the team, was forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden during a Knicks game in 2017. The accident was caught in videos, while the game was broadcast nationwide by ESPN.