In a lawsuit filed Thursday in the Superior Court of New Jersey that was first reported by Bloomberg, a former New York Giants employees alleges the team allowed a toxic workplace culture that was rife with violence and intimidation.
An employee of the team for 30 years prior to being terminated in March, ex-video director David Maltese claims he was fired for reporting a physical assault against a coworker by a supervisor that occurred six months before he was let go by the Giants. The alleged assault “was just a recent example of a pervasive and continuing pattern and culture of violence in the workplace by Giants’ management toward subordinates,” according to the lawsuit.
Years before the alleged assault in 2020, Maltese says he was assaulted by former assistant coach Dave DeGuglielmo in front of players, other coaches and team owner Christopher Mara in December 2004. The suit claims DeGuglielmo “ragefully tackled” Maltese and drove him into a table while screaming, “I am going to kill you,” according to The New York Post. The lawsuit states: “Defendants took no disciplinary action against DeGuglielmo and thereby endorsed and condoned a culture of violence in the Giants’ workplace.”
Seeking lost wages and benefits, compensation for pain and suffering and reputational harm and punitive damages due to the alleged wrongful termination, Maltese claims in the lawsuit that his job was threatened after he reported the assault(s) and that he was warned against pursuing the matter(s) by Giants general counsel William J. Heller.
Per the suit, Heller told Maltese he would “strangle you until you can no longer breathe” if he told anyone else about his discussions with team officials about the alleged assaults.
“We are aware of the civil filing by a former employee and are prepared to aggressively defend the organization and its employees against the meritless claims,” the Giants said in a statement to Bloomberg. “Beyond that, we do not intend to make further comment on this matter.”
The troubling lawsuit comes on the heels of rumblings last season that head coach Joe Judge and former offensive line coach Marc Colombo got into a fistfight before the latter was fired.
“I’m told NY Giants coaches Joe Judge and Marc Colombo got into a fistfight this morning,” Jason McIntyre of Fox Sports reported in November 2020. “Punches thrown. I’m told Colombo got the better of him, and Judge fired him instantly.”
Reached by TMZ last year, a team rep told TMZ, “There is absolutely no truth to that.”
In an interesting twist, Giants beat reporter Ralph Vacchiano said the firing really stemmed from Colombo being unhappy with Judge’s decision to bring in, guess who, DeGuglielmo to help Colombo with the O-line.
DeGuglielmo, who no longer works for the Giants (again), was subsequently hired to take over as the offensive line coach for Colombo. Months later, the video director he allegedly assaulted in 2004 was fired. Interesting timing.
More Like This
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
