SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors are facing a lawsuit from two former employees who allege they were harassed and discriminated against based on their sex, gender and age.
Filed on Aug. 25, the complaint also alleges both employees – identified as Lisa Shelley and Jennifer Vasquez – were retaliated against and that the basketball team made no effort to prevent the purported harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
In a statement to this news organization, the Warriors dismissed the allegations as “false, misleading and unsupported by credible evidence,” noting that many of the claims “have been previously reviewed or investigated and found to be without merit.”
“Golden State prides itself on its commitment to maintaining an inclusive environment grounded in mutual respect and professionalism,” the statement read in part.
The former employees are seeking unspecified damages for lost wages and benefits; defamation; and emotional distress, pain and suffering, among other things.
Shelly and Vasquez joined the Warriors in 2021 and 2022, respectively – Shelley as associate general counsel and Vasquez as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges Shelley was routinely passed over for promotions, while a male colleague under the age of 40 and with far less experience was selected to advance. The rationale for denying her promotions repeatedly shifted and referenced tenure requirements that her colleague did not meet, according to the lawsuit.
Male colleagues in equivalent roles were also paid more than Shelley, the complaint alleges.
Vasquez, meanwhile, was subjected to and witnessed a pattern of inappropriate conduct in the workplace, including questioning about her age, according to the lawsuit.
An executive told her women who wanted to work in professional sports often did so because they were “jersey chasers,” the complaint alleges. The executive allegedly applied dress and appearance standards inconsistently among female employees based on body type, which made Vasquez self-conscious about how she was perceived.
The lawsuit also alleges Vasquez’s reporting lines and responsibilities were shifted to less qualified male colleagues and that she was denied access to claims filed against a superior even though they fell under her purview as the vice president of DEI.
The former employees faced retaliation following an anonymous survey of NBA employees, which resulted in low satisfaction scores for the basketball team’s people operations, legal, finance and accounting departments, according to the lawsuit.
An executive identified and questioned employees she believed were responsible for her score, including Vasquez, who raised harassment concerns, the complaint alleges.
Vasquez’s account corroborated concerns raised by another employee, which led Shelley to recommend an independent investigation into the executive’s conduct, according to the lawsuit. Instead, a law firm with pre-existing ties to the Warriors allegedly conducted the probe.
The investigation, which Shelley was excluded from after she objected to its independence, found no wrongdoing on the part of the executive, the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit alleges Shelley was fired in late 2025 for raising safety and workplace concerns and for her role in the survey.
Vasquez was terminated shortly after Shelley. The executive she raised concerns about told her the Warriors were eliminating their DEI function and, with it, her position, according to the lawsuit. The complaint also alleges she was asked to characterize her departure as voluntary.
Most of Vasquez’s responsibilities, however, were absorbed by a lower-titled, less experienced male employee, who was compensated at a level comparable to her salary, the complaint alleges.
According to the lawsuit, every employee who raised concerns about the executive was terminated within six months of the survey results and the ensuing investigation.
Shelley later received a conditional offer of employment from the Los Angeles Clippers, but it was rescinded following a reference check, according to the lawsuit. The complaint alleges the withdrawal resulted directly from false and disparaging statements the Warriors made about her performance and professional conduct.
The Warriors plan to fight the lawsuit.
“Golden State intends to vigorously defend against these baseless claims and is confident that an examination of the facts will confirm that Golden State, its leadership, and the employees targeted in this lawsuit have at all times operated with the highest levels of integrity and fairness,” the basketball team said in its statement.