sport news Aussie basketball great loses court case against Sydney Flames after he was ... trends now
Australian basketball legend Shane Heal has lost a lion's share of his lawsuit against the Sydney Flames, with a judge finding he was suspended as the WNBL club's head coach because of complaints made by players.
Heal sued the WNBL club in the Federal Court, seeking orders preventing his termination as well as penalties including employee entitlements.
He launched the lawsuit, alleging breaches of employment law, after he was suspended from his role as the club's head coach in January last year.
The club said it launched an investigation into Mr Heal's conduct after players approached management raising bullying complaints and issues with his behaviour.
The Flames suspended Mr Heal and commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations before the matter spilt into the Federal Court last year.
Heal appears outside of court after claiming there were breaches of employment law when he was stood down as coach by WNBL side Sydney Flames
Heal was a highly successful player, enjoying stints in the Australian NBL and the NBA in the United States along with playing for the Australian Boomers
Sydney Flames players had made complaints about Heal's behaviour and conduct that led to him being stood down by the WNBL club
Heal had claimed that he was suspended after he exercised his workplace rights and the complaints were used as a 'smokescreen', the court was told.
In handing down his judgment on Friday afternoon, Justice John Halley said he was satisfied the action taken against Heal was because of the complaints brought to senior management by the players.
'Contrary to the case advanced by Mr Heal, I accept the decision to suspend Mr Heal as head coach of the team was taken because of the complaints that the players had made to senior management of the Sydney Flames about him, not because of his exercise of any alleged workplace rights,' Justice Halley said.
In January last year, following a loss to Perth, the playing group - minus Heal's daughter Shyla Heal - had dinner together during which three players expressed they were 'struggling with or upset by Mr Heal's conduct towards them', the court heard.
Sydney Flames captain Keely Froling raised the player complaints on their behalf to club president Victoria Denholm
Captain Keely Froling agreed to call president Victoria Denholm and raise the complaints on the players' behalf, the court heard.
Ms Froling expressed a number of complaints to Ms Denholm about Heal, including one of her teammates having a
