A dishwasher reached a settlement in a lawsuit he filed alleging the man who served at Los Angeles Kings games as team mascot “Bailey” groped his buttocks in a Staples Center elevator in 2016.
Lawyer Kent Lowry, on behalf of plaintiff Maso Griffin, filed a notice of settlement July 18 with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana. No terms were divulged.
Griffin’s suit was filed Nov. 22 and named as defendants Kings mascot Tim Smith and his employer, Kings’ owner Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc., as well as Levy Restaurants Inc. and Compass Group USA, which both provide food services to Staples Center. The suit sought unspecified damages.
The suit stated that Griffin worked for Levy Restaurants and that Smith wore the lion costume and Kings jersey with the number 72 as the team’s mascot “Bailey.” Smith is married to Melissa Smith, Levy’s director of human resources, according to the complaint.
During an elevator ride at the arena last Dec. 8, Smith, while dressed in the “Bailey” costume, put one hand on one of Griffin’s shoulders and used his other hand to squeeze the plaintiff’s buttocks, the suit alleged.
Griffin was angry and was about to say something to Smith when a co-worker of the plaintiff — who was also in the elevator — said, “That’s the HR lady’s husband,” according to the complaint.
Griffin complained the next day to Melissa Smith, who became angered, and the plaintiff was “taken off the schedule for a time,” the suit stated.
Griffin was subjected to embarrassing derogatory remarks by co-workers when he returned, including “Was his hand furry?,” the suit stated.
Griffin was fired during a meeting with Melissa Smith in December 2016 and he believed he lost his job for complaining about her husband’s alleged conduct, the suit stated.