Judge dismisses lawsuit accusing Knicks owner James Dolan of sexual assault, sex trafficking

A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed a federal lawsuit against New York Knicks and New York Rangers owner James Dolan on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleged Dolan sexually assaulted and trafficked a masseuse in 2013. The plaintiff, Kellye Croft, originally filed the lawsuit on Jan. 16, alleging that Dolan sexually assaulted her while his band was on tour with The Eagles. In that instance, the lawsuit alleged that while Croft was massaging Dolan, the Knicks team owner was "extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him," despite her telling him that she did not want to engage in any sexual activity with him.

The lawsuit details another incident toward the end of 2013, where Croft was flown out to California under the pretense that she would work as a massage therapist. However, the lawsuit alleged that Croft was "trafficked" by Dolan to "engage in unlawful and unwelcome sex acts with her." Croft also alleged that Dolan facilitated her meeting convicted sex offender and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein in January 2014, which led to Croft being sexually assaulted by Weinstein.

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson dismissed Croft's allegations that she was sex trafficked with prejudice, which means it can't be filed again. However, the other claims, which includes sexual battery against Dolan, sexual assault by Weinstein and aiding and abetting of sexual assault by Dolan were dismissed without prejudice, meaning Croft can file those again. The court also ordered Croft to pay the defendant's court costs.

"We respectfully disagree with the District Court's decision, which we believe incorrectly interprets the federal sex trafficking law and undermines critically important protections for sex trafficking survivors," Croft's attorneys, Kevin Mintzer and Meredith Firetog, told ESPN. "We will be appealing this decision and are confident that the Court of Appeals will correct this injustice. We will also continue to pursue Ms. Croft's sexual battery claims against James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein, which remain unaffected by the [Tuesday's] decision. Our fight for Ms. Croft is just beginning."

Croft was seeking monetary damages and wanted a trial by jury on the lawsuit filed in January.

In response to the dismissal of the lawsuit, a spokesperson for James Dolan gave CBS Sports the following statement:

"We are very pleased with the dismissal of the lawsuit, which was a malicious attempt to assert horrific allegations by an attorney who subverts the legal system for personal gain -- this also happens to be the same attorney in the Charles Oakley case."

The case referred to in the statement from Dolan's spokesperson is about an ongoing civil case regarding an incident in 2017 that involved former Knicks player Charles Oakley getting thrown out of Madison Square Garden. Oakley has tried to sue Dolan and MSG for the use of an "unreasonable amount of force" by arena security, which involved him getting walked out with handcuffs on. Oakley's case was originally dismissed in 2021, but was later reinstated by an appeals court in 2023, allowing Oakley to add Dolan as a defendant. On Sept. 10, Dolan was ordered to give a deposition on the matter, which will take place at a later date.