NBA | Woman filed sexual assault complaint against Mark Cuban in 2011

APD NEWS

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In February, Sports Illustrated published their story detailing alleged sexual misconduct by former Mavericks president Terdema Ussery as well as domestic violence by Mavs.com writer Earl K. Sneed. The fallout following the reported predatory work environment inside the Dallas Mavericks organization has been far reaching.

Star Dirk Nowitzki has said he is extremely disappointed with what went on in the Mavericks’ business side. Meanwhile, the team has launched an investigation and the league has set up a confidential hotline for team employees to report misconduct.

As we’ve seen with the recent #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, one person coming forward to tell their story often inspires another to do the same. Meanwhile, journalists are digging deeper than ever to uncover potential stories related to sexual harassment and discrimination. We now have one such example coming to us from Portland, Oregon, where in 2011 a woman reportedly filed a police complaint against Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for inappropriate actions. Cuban was never prosecuted and his attorney denies this ever happened.


WARNING: Graphic sexual content ahead.


In a story published Tuesday by Willamette Week, Cuban was accused by a woman of inappropriate sexual touching at a bar in April of 2011. The woman alleged that around closing time in early in the morning hours at the bar, Cuban posed with her for a photo. While he posed, the woman alleged that Cuban forced his hand down the back of her pants and penetrated her.

The WW reports they have the entire 50-page police document, including transcripts of interviews between Cuban and the Portland Police Bureau. In it, the woman’s friend said that Cuban was, “Very drunk” and that “His eyes were half closed, he was unstable on his feet, and he was slurring his words.”

The police apparently interviewed other people present at the bar at the time, including then-Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love and former Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Lindsay McCormick.

Cuban hired a local defense attorney in Oregon, but was never charged.

The weekly paper was also able to get in touch with the woman, who said that although Cuban was not charged that she still maintains the incident happened.

“I filed the report because what he did was wrong,” said the woman. “I stand behind that report 1,000 percent.”

The WW story includes a transcript of the conversation between Cuban and Portland Police Detective Brendan McGuire in which Cuban is clearly shaken given the accusation.

Meanwhile Cuban’s attorney, Stephen Houze, said in a statement to the WW that, “According to the detailed prosecution decline memo, investigators interviewed the complainant’s boyfriend and female friend, as well as employees and patrons of the bar, and other persons with Mr. Cuban and no one observed any inappropriate behavior by Mr. Cuban.”

Houza added that, “This incident never happened and her accusations are false.”

At this juncture, the question is how many more of these types of stories are going to surface, and who they are going to affect in NBA circles.

(NBC SPORTS)