NEW YORK (AP) _ A Madison Square Garden executive who says New
York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas showered her with profanities was
unsparing in her own foul language to describe fellow executives, a
former colleague testified Monday.
John Cudmore, a senior vice-president of finance, told a federal
jury that the executive, Anucha Browne Sanders, on numerous
occasions referred to others with the f-word and ``bitch,'' a word
she says Thomas frequently hurled at her.
Cudmore was called as a witness by the defence as the trial
entered its third week.
Browne Sanders, the Knicks' former vice-president of marketing
and business operations, is seeking millions of dollars in damages
in a sexual harassment suit against Thomas. She was hired by the
Knicks in late 2000 and was fired in January 2006, months after
complaining to MSG management that she was mistreated by Thomas.
Cudmore testified that Browne Sanders was unsparing in her harsh
assessment of fellow executives, ranging from a marketing executive
to the team's vice-president of season ticket sales. He said the
former Northwestern basketball star called other MSG executives
buffoons and wimps and sprinkled profanities liberally.
Cudmore said he saw only cordial interactions, free of
profanities, between Thomas and Browne Sanders at several team
financial meetings.
Cudmore said Browne Sanders' annual salary was raised to
US$260,000 as she was given more budgetary responsibilities in 2005.
He said she began failing at financial tasks, causing problems at
three strategic planning meetings, a quarterly forecast meeting and
two budget meetings that drew the attention of Steve Mills, MSG
Sports' president and chief executive officer.
``He was very disappointed,'' Cudmore recalled. ``He was angry.
These were people he had hired. He was angry. He was frustrated.''
On multiple occasions, Browne Sanders had failed to adequately
explain her budget and why it needed to be different from the
previous year. As a result, she failed to gain approval for the
team's budget for the next year at two separate meetings, he said.
As part of her lawsuit, Browne Sanders has asked for her job
back, saying MSG retaliated against her by firing her for speaking
out about sexual harassment.
The Garden claims she was dismissed in January 2006 for a failure
to ``fulfil professional responsibilities.''
