A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed a federal lawsuit accusing James Dolan of sexual assault, according to a report by Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
The lawsuit, filed by Kellye Croft in January, alleged that Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden and governor of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, engaged in unwanted sexual conduct nearly a decade ago.
The woman, a licensed massage therapist, claimed she met Dolan while he was on tour with the Eagles in 2013, as his band, JD & The Straight Shot, opened for them.
In her complaint, Croft accused Dolan of pressuring her into unwanted sexual intercourse and facilitating an encounter with Harvey Weinstein in Los Angeles in 2014.
She alleged that Dolan paid for her stay at The Beverly Hills Hotel, where she met Weinstein, who introduced himself as Dolan’s “best friend.”
According to the complaint, Weinstein then sexually assaulted her at the hotel.
Croft informed Dolan of the assault, and he allegedly responded by saying that Weinstein was “a troubled person” with “serious issues.”
The lawsuit also included allegations of sex trafficking, asserting that Dolan arranged her travel to Los Angeles for illegal purposes, a claim Croft’s attorneys linked to federal crimes.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson dismissed Croft’s sex trafficking claim with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
The claims of sexual battery against Dolan, sexual assault by Weinstein, and aiding and abetting by Dolan were dismissed without prejudice, leaving room for those claims to be refiled.
The judge also ordered Croft to pay court costs for the defendants.
Croft’s attorneys, Kevin Mintzer and Meredith Firetog, expressed disagreement with the decision, stating, “We will be appealing this decision and are confident that the Court of Appeals will correct this injustice.”
They also affirmed their intent to continue pursuing Croft’s claims of sexual battery against Dolan and Weinstein.
The lawsuit had drawn significant attention due to the involvement of Weinstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes following a 2017 investigation by The New York Times and The New Yorker.
Dolan had previously served on the board of The Weinstein Company but claimed to be unaware of Weinstein’s misconduct before his conviction.
In 2018, Dolan released a song titled “I Should’ve Known,” which he later connected to his regret over Weinstein’s actions.
A spokesperson for Dolan expressed satisfaction with the dismissal, stating, “We are very pleased with the dismissal of the lawsuit, which was a malicious attempt to assert horrific allegations by an attorney who subverts the legal system for personal gain.”
