The Denver Nuggets mascot denounces the franchise for

Drake Solomon, who worked as Rocky, the mascot of the Denver Nuggets, filed a lawsuit against the team's parent company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, in the Denver District Court. Solomon claims he was unjustly terminated after undergoing a hip replacement surgery during the 2023-24 season.

The lawsuit alleges that the Denver Nuggets may have violated multiple provisions of the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights Act. Solomon seeks to turn the case into a class-action lawsuit to include other KSE employees and requests financial compensation for both himself and other plaintiffs. Additionally, his former supervisors are named as defendants.

Solomon is the second generation of the Nuggets mascot, as his father, Kenn Solomon, played the role from 1990 until retiring in 2021. Following his father's retirement, Drake was the sole candidate invited to a closed-door audition for the position.

During the 2022-23 season, Solomon began experiencing pain in both hips and was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a condition that causes bone tissue death due to lack of blood supply. He underwent bilateral core decompression surgery to treat it, but continued to experience discomfort. The next option was a total hip replacement.

Prior to the 2024 surgery, Solomon claims his supervisors informed him that they would hold an audition for the role of Rocky and viewed him as unreliable due to his medical history. Drake stated that he was told, “We don't know if it's going to work this time because it didn't work the first time.” He also mentioned that he received no welcome upon returning and that his superiors only addressed him in the office when it was time to discuss auditions.

In August, Solomon was dismissed without explanation and offered a settlement agreement that included confidentiality and indemnification clauses, which, according to the lawsuit, violate state law. The lawsuit seeks to have this agreement deemed invalid.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La mascota de Denver Nuggets ¡denuncia! a la franquicia por...