# Byears Sues Sparks over Release



## Gym Rat (Dec 30, 2002)

LA Times Article 



> Former Spark player Latasha Byears, who was waived by the team in 2003 and later investigated in an alleged sexual assault of a former teammate, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Sparks and the Los Angeles Lakers Inc., which owns the Sparks' franchise.
> 
> In the suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Byears accuses the Sparks of terminating her "after someone, and not the former Sparks player, made a false and completely unsubstantiated claim that [Byears] and others had sexually assaulted the former Sparks player."



From the Mercury News




> Latasha Byears was cut from the team five days after a June 2003 party at which she and three men were said to have assaulted the woman, a former teammate. Prosecutors said at the time that there had been an investigation, but no one was arrested and no charges were ever filed.
> 
> Byears, 31, said her quick dismissal demonstrates bias against lesbians by Jerry Buss, owner of the Sparks and the Los Angeles Lakers. She contrasts Buss' backing of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who was accused of raping a woman, with the team's response to allegations against her.
> 
> "They helped pay for chartered flights for Bryant's court appearances ... and issued several public statements of support," the suit said, while she was "immediately terminated and banished from the organization."


She has a point about the Kobe situation. Wow.


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## Cometsbiggestfan (May 14, 2003)

um...


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## 4ever_bball_fan (Aug 5, 2004)

The only real blemish on the WNBA's record and it rises from the dust.

I have to agree with you, Gym Rat, regarding how Kobe's situation was/has been handled compared to Ms. Byears.


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## jov_brien (May 15, 2003)

I don't know the full details of the situation, but I loved to hate LaTasha Byears when she was with the Monarchs (remember that season [1998] when the Monarchs couldn't buy a win, yet they defeated the LA Sparks every time they played). However, I quickly loved her when she was with the Sparks. She's just an outstanding player.

However, after learning about all this, even if it is true or not, I can't help but look at her in a different light. I don't think it has anything to do with her sexuality (after all, I'm gay too), for I don't look at Kobe in the same light either. Yes, she does have a point with the way her case was treated as compared to Mr. Bryant's. BUT her case involved a FELLOW TEAMMATE not some worker at a hotel. 

I'm not saying that the way management/ownership of the Sparks/Lakers Organization handled the situation was ethical or legal or what have you, but it puts them in a difficult situation. 

However, the fact that the investigation did not conclude in any arrests, that Ms Byears should be given another chance. I could understand why it woudl be difficult for her to be back on the Sparks roster, but I do believe another team should pick her up.

That's all I have to say...


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