Kelly Klein files discrimination lawsuit against ROH, Sinclair

[Big Red Machine]

https://www.f4wonline.com/ring-honor/ke ... air-334331

By Josh Nason | @joshnason | Feb 26, 2021 9:46 am

Former Ring of Honor wrestler Kelly Klein filed a discrimination lawsuit against Ring of Honor and Sinclair Broadcasting, first reported by Heel by Nature.

In the suit filed this past Wednesday, the 35-year-old Klein is claiming discrimination and harassment, an unsafe work environment, breach of implied contract, unpaid royalties, violations of both state and Federal equal pay acts, and abusive discharge.

Klein alleges that ROH and Sinclair terminated her contract on December 31, 2019, "because of her complaints regarding the disparate pay for WHO female wrestlers, the lack of safety and medical protocols after Plaintiff suffered the concussion in October of 2019, and the sexual harassment at ROH."

Listed in the suit was ROH general manager Greg Gilliand; Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff; booker, producer and trainer Hunter Johnson; and Jay Lethal (Jamar Shipman).

She is seeking $75,000.

In the suit, she details several specific incidents dating back to September 2016 where she didn't receive proper treatment after matches in which she was injured, claiming medical personnel weren't available. She also detailed a 2017 incident with Shipman leering at her while in a hot tub and asking about if she was staying alone in the hotel. When she brought these issues up, she said she learned in July 2018 that they were never brought up with Sinclair human resources and no investigation was done.

After four years with the company, ROH announced in November 2019 that they were not re-signing the former three-time Women's champion which upset her and then-husband B.J. Whitmer with how it was handled. At the time, she said she was recovering from post-concussion syndrome. She hasn't wrestled since a October 2019 title defense for ROH.

[Big Red Machine]

The equal pay thing will be a hard sell in an industry where you're theoretically getting paid on what you draw. The other stuff... doesn't look so good for ROH.

[XIV]

Like, if she’s got proof that she made the complaint to ROH and they never investigated, that’s not ideal.

Equal pay just isn’t a discussion for now.

Will ROH throw her some money to keep her quiet, she isn’t asking for Joey Ryan sums of money, so she could be easily paid to be silenced on the matter. Give her £45,000 and get her to sign an NDA.

[cero2k]

The equal pay thing will be a hard sell in an industry where you're theoretically getting paid on what you draw. The other stuff... doesn't look so good for ROH.

It seems like a really tricky suit. The sexual harassments allegation seems to be happening outside 'working' hours, and there could be an argument that SHE should have gone to HR, not expect for the middle person to do so.

The concussion one seems like a stronger argumen, but we know that not a lot of people have been able to make many cases about concussions and 'lack of medical personal' could be tricked around with many excuses. I don't know what show she's talking about, but ROH could potentially prove that medical staff was taking care of a bigger issue that night.

The smartest thing I see here is that she's asking for a considerably small amount, so I hope she can get it out of Sinclair without having to drag this out a lot. Or at least a proper settlement.