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Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon Sued For Sexual Harassment

By The Associated Press

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon has been accused of sexual harassment by an assistant for his sports marketing firm, according to a lawsuit filed in California.

The civil lawsuit was filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court. According to court documents, Wendy Haskell alleges Moon made "unwanted and unsolicited" sexual advances while she worked for Sports 1 Marketing. Moon is the co-founder and president of the company.

The Washington Post first reported on the lawsuit Wednesday. The 61-year-old Moon has been working as a radio commentator for the Seattle Seahawks. The team announced later Wednesday that "We have accepted Warren Moon's request for a leave of absence as the club's radio analyst."

Moon played parts of 17 seasons in the NFL with Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City.

According to the lawsuit, Haskell was hired as an executive assistant to Moon in the summer of 2017. The lawsuit alleges that Haskell was forced to sleep in the same bed with Moon on business trips while wearing lingerie. Haskell says in the lawsuit that she complained about the arrangement but Moon responded "this was the way it was."

Haskell claimed she was drugged by Moon during a trip to Mexico in October. The lawsuit alleges that Moon acknowledged drugging Haskell because he thought she wasn't "having fun." She also claims Moon pulled off her swimsuit during the Mexico trip.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims Haskell was required to keep the bathroom door unlocked while she showered and Moon repeatedly entered the room.

The lawsuit claims that Haskell reported Moon's behavior to Sports 1 Marketing CEO David Meltzer but the company did not investigate her claims. Haskell claims she was demoted after making the complaints.

Moon threw for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns in the regular season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. The former University of Washington star led the team to a 1978 Rose Bowl victory. He went undrafted by the NFL and led Edmonton to five Canadian Football League titles. He became one of the NFL's first successful black quarterbacks, starting his career with the Oilers in the 1984 season.

Haskell's attorney, Diane L. Fitzgerald, told The Washington Post her client had decided to go public with the suit.
"She was expecting to further her career in the sports marketing industry," Fitzgerald told The Post. "She had no idea that her job duties were going to involve that kind of perverse protocol."
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(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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