What Were They Thinking?: Crisis Communication: The Good, the Bad, and the Totally Clueless

The New York Knicks: Know When to Fold 'Em

Sometimes when you or your organization faces an embarrassing incident (often the precursor to a crisis or scandal) the best crisis response plan includes actions to get the situation behind you as quickly as possible. In cases involving explosive charges such as sexual harassment in the workplace, it is often advisable to settle the situation out of court and avoid potentially awkward and even more embarrassing details and allegations that are sure to become public through the media—or at least in your professional and personal sphere. The more visible or high-profile the party involved, the more the organization and that individual have at risk in terms of image, credibility, and reputation— whether the party charged is guilty or not.Therefore, there is a greater incentive to settle a legal case before it even goes to court, thereby avoiding unwanted media attention and intense public scrutiny. It may not always be fair, but these are the “rules of engagement” when it comes to the high-profile crisis communication game. The New York Knicks KNOW WHEN TO FOLD ’EM 27 James Dolan, Isiah Thomas, and the entire MSG / New York Knicks management team were thinking that they could go into court, where lurid details become national headlines, and still win the PR battle. What were they thinking?. You can’t. When the PR cost is not worth it, do all you can to stay out of court (and quietly settle if possible) when facing volatile, salacious, and embarrassing charges involving an alleged racial, ethical, marital, or sexual matter. The Lesson. Adubato_final_book 5/20/08 4:31 PM Page 27 Let me be clear. If you are accused of something that you believe to be patently false—if there is no factual foundation for the charges against you or your organization—then respond and fight with all the passion and intensity you can muster. However, in many cases, especially those involving charges connected to events motivated by sexual, ethical, or racial factors or those involving morally inappropriate behavior, there is at least some factual basis for the allegations. Simply put, sometimes things happen in life that you’d rather not have others find out, which often has absolutely nothing to do with the law or a courtroom. This isn’t about a legal definition of guilt or innocence. In fact, you may have a very good chance of “winning in court” if you opt to fight.The problem, however, is that in the process of trying to “win” in the courtroom, it is very likely that you will lose the battle—sometimes very badly—in the court of public opinion and perception. The Knicks and MSG Are Out of Bounds As several cases in this book show, pursuing a legal strategy often directly conflicts with a smart and appropriate crisis communication strategy.Through much of 2007, Madison Square Garden and its marquee team, the NewYork Knicks, as well as its chairman James Dolan and coach Isiah Thomas, faced and lost an embarrassing and highly publicized court case involving charges brought by former vice president of marketing Anucha Browne Sanders. Browne Sanders charged that Thomas, in cooperation with MSG and the Knicks, promoted a hostile work environment where she was subjected to numerous verbal assaults as well as unwelcome sexual and romantic advances. Browne Sanders sought $10 million in her suit against the Knicks and MSG. She won $11.6 million, and that was before compensatory damages were awarded. 28 WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Adubato_final_book 5/20/08 4:31 PM Page 28 Specifically, she accused Isiah Thomas of repeatedly calling her a “bitch” and a “ho.” Further, Browne Sanders said Knicks’ star player Stephon Marbury called her a “black bitch” and one of Marbury’s relatives who worked for the Knicks called her the “n word.” This was just the beginning of the foul and profane language that Browne Sanders alleged was used toward her in her sexual harassment charge. Once Browne Sanders brought the charges, she was fired from her high-paying marketing job by Knicks and MSG chairman James Dolan, who argued that her suit was not only distracting the team and MSG, but that she was also seeking witnesses within the MSG corporate family to testify in the court case, further disrupting the company. Clearly, proving sexual harassment in a court of law is not easy.The alleged pattern of conduct...