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twitterEx-Hard Rock worker wins $225,000 judgment against Dennis Rodman
Monday, April 27, 2009 | 3:07 p.m.
Former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman poses before the Ed Hardy swimwear runway show in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 19, 2008.
Beyond the Sun
A woman who says she was fired by the Hard Hock hotel-casino after complaining about the behavior of Dennis Rodman there has now won a $225,000 judgment against Rodman.
A motion for a default judgment was approved by U.S. District Judge Robert Jones on Monday after the former NBA star failed to respond to a lawsuit filed against him and the Hard Rock by Sara Ure, 28.
Ure charged in her lawsuit that in early 2006, while she was working as a beverage manager at the hotel, Rodman created a scene that included him grabbing her, forcing her to dance with him and slapping her bottom.
Ure says that after complaining to the Hard Rock, she was told Rodman would not be allowed back at the establishment. She claims that after he was allowed there again and caused another scene, she reported this to management and then was fired.
She filed a discrimination claim against the hotel, claiming she was fired in retaliation for complaining about a hostile work environment there. The claims against the hotel were later resolved after the parties entered mediation -- the results of the mediation were not disclosed.
That left Rodman as the lone defendant and though he was served with the suit, he didn't respond to the allegations, court records show.
"Defendant Rodman injured and humiliated Ms. Ure at her place of employment, which is simply one of the latest incidents in an almost decade-long practice of violence and blatant disregard for the safety of others,'' attorneys Kathleen England and Jocelyn Cortez said in their April 21 motion for a default judgment.
In seeking $125,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages, they said the slim, 5-foot 10-inch Ure suffered embarrassment, humiliation and anxiety at the hands of the 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pound Rodman.
Ure's attorneys said Rodman "grabbed and held Ms. Ure against her will, forced her to 'dance' with him in the middle of her place of employment, and rubbed his body against hers. Defendant Rodman then smacked Ms. Ure on the bottom when she managed to escape from his grip. This demeaning assault and battery occurred in front of at least one of Ms. Ure's subordinate employees, her co-workers and Hard Rock Casino patrons."
Ure, the attorneys said, "broke into tears and left work early, which was embarrassing," and later had to explain Rodman's attack to her fiancé and to Hard Rock officials.
In seeking damages, they noted a dealer at the Mirage casino had won an $80,000 judgment after being battered by Rodman in 1997 and that his behavior was part of his celebrity status and wealth built "on a 'bad-boy' persona that thrives on shock value."
"This now includes years of public intoxication, groping and touching women in public and then getting kicked out of places for his behavior," the attorneys charged.
Besides the Mirage dealer case in 1997, the attorneys pointed to five other cases involving Rodman allegedly humiliating or assaulting employees or patrons at Las Vegas casinos -- all of which they say appeared to have been settled out of court.
"These cases demonstrate a clear pattern of defendant Rodman's unabated violence against unsuspecting individuals," they said.
Ure initially sued under the name Sara Robinson, but now goes by her married name.
Discussion: 13 comments so far…
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Good for her A bigger sleeze then Rodman would be hard to find....
Unless you are in Carson City at the mansion
Sounds like somebody needs to pay up and then not be allowed back in to the Hard Rock. These celebrities are out of control thinking they can abuse the help. Why did the security not step in? Is everyone afraid of Rodman? He dont look so tough to me. I saw him on Donald Trumps show he was just always drunk. He must be a real loser to treat people that way.
HAHA, glad to hear it. Rodman is a class A D-Bag.
Great news! The slimeball finally got what he deserved!
She'll never collect a dime of it. Worm doesn't have the money. He drank it all.
Gaming executives and managers should establish a system of listening and support for their employees, meaning Theory Y Management starts at the top and works it's way down. Training should be emphasized, and action paths should be clarified to employees in dealing with guests-invitees and reporting complaints for action.
Over the past seven years there have been too many young managers and supervisors come on properties, even relatively new to the business, because they had club experience in NY or LA and executives believe they can bring the customer in, a customer which the older gaming executive does not fully understand.
The truth is they are still young, still learning maturity and seasoning, and as such need formal training they have not been getting at some properties. It's that simple. Most casino executives, some, have higher education in college business programs. So, they "should" understand the importance of training, sustaining and rewarding all employees. Certainly they should support them in the right circumstances, and if the circumstances are wrong for the customer, then the customer is wrong.
Cy and Jesse Waits are an example of two young men who DO understand both the customer and the importance of keeping the right working relationship with their employees as well. People like that are not easy to find, most have to be developed over time.
Why on earth do they let this disgusting pig into establishments? Did you notice that he usually misbehaves in Las Vegas? Are we really so hard-up for money that we will anyone treat our employees like dogs? Rodman is a maggot and should be banned from all casinos until he can get some counseling to make him act like a human being instead of a dog! Aside from that he is ugly and gross looking.
These are the people that Las Vegas thought was a gold mine. $500 bottles of Vodka, Thuggin' and clubbin'. Las Vegas got what it deserved...unfortunately the people get hurt.
I'd like to volunteer.
She should count her lucky stars, I mean she should count her money.
How did the court in it right mind allow for $250,000 for a single table dance and pat on the bum.
I can't wait to meet Mr. Roddman so I can sue him for a hard hand shaking. I may even feel overwhelmed by his appearance that I need compensation to help me cope with living in a world full of people just like him.
I guess the Hard Rock Hotel didn't have any responsibility for the action that night as she aleged, or they settled out like this case should have ended up.
I just wonder why the court allowed the case even go though, they never served him with the papers, shouldn't he be the one to get them not his wife or any other party, the intended named person is the single sole who should get them. Next we will hear that it is proper to serve a person by giving notice to the individuals pet, or placing it on their door step.
The court has failed in this case, and the deralic judge who ruled should be put on reveiw for allowing such nonsence to be perpetrated as justice.
I think she should have won some compensation, perhaps in the amount of $5,000, that is enough to pay for any hurt feelings, there where no broken bones or medical assistance needed was there.
When I wish upon a star, let me count how I can steal your money, even the motion says that Roddman has that kind of money so he should pay. Does that mean that las is based on income or ability to pay, more to the point, it means that the plaintiff is going after wealth. That is criminal in it self.
he is a slug
...Hey, Rodman seems to be pretty good for Las Vegas, at least of which any inter-action with him would result in a jackpot, what, isn't she like the 3rd or 4th casino employee here in the last several years to win a monetary lawsuit for something hes' done to them ?...
Hes' a walking, talking lawsuit waiting to happen and should wear a sign saying: Dinners on me, ask me how.......