After a series of appeals, Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL appears set for a public trial. On Thursday, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected the NFL’s petition to rehear a recent decision on the case with a 7-0 vote, via ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr.
It’s the latest legal win for Gruden as he tries to keep the proceedings from happening behind closed doors. In August, the Court sided with Gruden in an appeal that blocked the NFL from sending the case into closed-door arbitration.
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Though the NFL appealed that decision, Thursday’s ruling closes the league’s avenues towards reaching a settlement with Gruden, rather than in a public, (likely) messy discovery and trial.
Gruden resigned as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach in 2021 after emails showing the head coach using racist, homophobic and misogynistic language were leaked. Soon afterwards, Gruden sued the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, accusing the league of leaking the emails in what he called a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to ruin his career.
In the years since, both Gruden and the league have been locked in legal battles, most recently to determine the manner of the lawsuit. Gruden has wanted his trial to be as public as possible, vowing in 2021 that “the truth will come out.”
The league, meanwhile, wanted closed-door arbitration and to avoid discovery. Though the NFL has repeatedly tried to strike down the lawsuit, attempts to dismiss it have been denied.
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Gruden originally won the case before a trial court, but a Nevada Supreme Court panel overturned the ruling in May 2024 as part of a lengthy appeal. Per court documents, Gruden’s lawyers initially filed for a rehearing on the appeal last summer, which was denied. A month later, they filed for an en banc reconsideration, which was granted last October.
One of the NFL’s arguments has been that Gruden, as a former employee, is not allowed to bring any public lawsuits against the league due to an arbitration clause in the NFL’s constritution. But the panel officially sided with Gruden last month, calling the clause “unconscionable” and saying it does not apply to Gruden since he is not a current employee. Thursday’s ruling rejecting a rehearing of that decision.
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Gruden has not coached in the NFL since he resigned from the Raiders. He joined the New Orleans Saints as an advisor in 2023, and joined Barstool Sports as a commentator and broadcast personality last fall.
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