- The anonymous dancers say Matthew Day exhibited a repeated pattern of inappropriate behavior with both of them and they reported it to the Kings’ HR.
- Both had to audition again, but Day reviewed the auditions and neither dancer was brought back to join the team for the 2023-2024 season.
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Two anonymous Sacramento Kings dancers are suing the team after they say they were not selected for the team again after filing complaints about a choreographer’s behavior.
The lawsuit names the Kings and choreographer Matthew Day, saying Day inappropriately touched dancers and sometimes stretched them without their consent.
After the two dancers — listed as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — repeatedly raised concerns with the Kings’ human resources department and dance coach, there was no change in Day’s behavior, according to the filing.
After an audition in August, neither dancer was rehired. According to the lawsuit, Day was part of the jury for that audition.
MailSport has contacted the Sacramento Kings for comment.
Two Sacramento Kings dancers have sued the team for retaliation in a newly filed lawsuit
This lawsuit was filed in Sacramento County Superior Court by West Coast Employment Lawyers, APLC – the firm that recently sued Lizzo and Jason Derulo for sexual harassment.
In the files, one complaint stated that the way Day touched the legs and backs of dancers made the named plaintiffs “afraid to come to dance practice every day.”
After going to HR to file a complaint, the dancers say “no changes were made.”
The anonymous complainant said Day also sent her unsolicited and increasingly flirtatious comments and messages on Instagram. She says she never “exhibited flirtatious behavior in response.”
As for the other party in the lawsuit, Day sent her photos to a third-party promotional company without her consent and continually referred to her as “love,” according to the filing.
The two plaintiffs say other dancers had also complained about Day’s behavior.
Both dancers wanted to return to the team for the 2023-2024 season, which required them to audition.
They were told to practice the jazz dance style before the auditions, which is in line with industry standard about communication during the selection process.
Both dancers complained about the choreographer’s behavior, but ‘nothing was changed’
The two dancers auditioned for the team again this year, only to discover that Day was on the jury. On the day of the audition, they were told that they would be doing a different style than what they had prepared for, and ultimately were not selected for the 2023-2024 team.
However, on the day of the auditions, the two dancers were told that they were “going in a different direction” and would focus on hip-hop.
That would require the two plaintiffs to breakdance – something one of them could not do due to a knee condition.
“This is an absolutely stunning case of management at the Sacramento Kings turning a blind eye to Day’s lascivious and illegal conduct,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Ron Zambrano.
‘Day committed these heinous acts, and he is certainly responsible for his own behavior, but the team’s inaction amounts to condoning such horrendous working conditions, so both are equally liable for the plaintiffs’ pain and suffering .’
