On Friday, a court dismissed Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and its owner, James Dolan, marking the third time this legal dispute, which started in February 2017 after Oakley’s altercation with security, has been closed. Oakley was removed from the venue during a game after the incident.
In its statement, MSG confirmed that the court had rejected the claims “in their entirety” and mentioned plans to pursue legal action against Oakley’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, and his law firm. Wigdor expressed disappointment over the ruling, highlighting his preference for a jury trial.
MSG stated, “For over nine years, Mr. Oakley’s attorneys have pursued allegations that they knew were false. These claims have now been dismissed outright by the court for the third time. We are suing Douglas Wigdor and his unscrupulous law firm to hold them accountable for years of frivolous litigation and blatant abuse of the judicial system.”
The lawsuit was initially thrown out in early 2020, then reinstated later that year, dismissed again in 2021, and then brought back a second time in May 2023.
“We are disappointed in the court’s decision,” Wigdor said in his statement to the Post. “We believe there are conflicting accounts, and only a jury can determine what exactly happened. We expect the Second Circuit to agree a third time and immediately remand the case for a jury trial.”
Previously, during a Knicks game on February 8, 2017, Oakley, a significant figure for the franchise in the 1990s, was arrested and subsequently removed from the stadium. Though the charges were eventually dropped, Oakley filed a lawsuit later that year, citing assault, false imprisonment, and defamation. The initial dismissal occurred in February 2020 but was overturned by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals later that year. The court’s later ruling in 2023 indicated that the question of whether the use of force was reasonable should generally be resolved by a jury.
However, in a recent ruling by Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan, Oakley’s case was dismissed yet again. Sullivan noted that “no reasonable jury could conclude that Oakley had a reasonable fear of being exposed to the risk of unreasonable physical contact, much less that MSG intended to incite such fear.”
Additionally, the judge pointed out that, “Despite the alleged assault occurring in the middle of Madison Square Garden in front of 19,000 people and dozens of cameras, Mr. Oakley acknowledged that there were no witnesses other than himself to testify that he was pushed to the ground,” as stated in the opinion.
The ongoing conflict between Oakley and Dolan has loomed over the Knicks, with some reports suggesting that if Oakley dropped his lawsuit, the team would consider him a “distinguished team alumnus.” Interestingly, Dolan’s initial ban from 2017 was lifted, allowing Oakley to participate in a playoff game during the Knicks’ championship run last spring.
Furthermore, the ruling emphasized that “Sufficient evidence, including video from multiple angles and unanimous testimony from each witness (including, to some extent, Oakley himself) shows that Oakley had ample opportunity to leave the Garden, instead resorted to physical violence, and was not forced to the ground,” according to Sullivan’s opinion.
