The Blackhawks continue to face more off-ice issues with latest lawsuit

The Chicago Blackhawks are facing another public relations issue as a former employee is suing the team for wrongful termination and discrimination.

The Athletic's Blackhawks co-beat writers Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers were the first to report the latest off-ice lawsuit the team is facing.

The team's former public relations manager, Anthony Filomena, is accusing the team (subscription required) of discrimination and being treated differently by his supervisor for being gay. Filomena alleges he was fired on May 3, 2024, a day after complaining to his supervisor that another senior official within the organization was angry with him after giving an interview to Outsports.com about his work in sports and his sexuality. The interview appeared on the website in April 2024.

Filomena said he received permission from team owner Danny Wirtz via text message to do the interview, as it would help the team's image in the LGBTQ+ community.

Lazerus and Powers outlined that Filomena told his supervisor he was being criticized because of his sexual orientation. He was fired a day later despite having a "perfect rating" on a performance review a month earlier.

The Blackhawks responded to Lazerus and Powers by saying Filomena was fired for misconduct over six months.

"“Mr. Filomena was terminated for cause due to multiple instances of misconduct over a period of six months. He received multiple written communications outlining expectations, including a formal, final written warning prior to his dismissal. His termination was solely due to continued misconduct and disregard for our company policies.”"

Blackhawks statement to the lawsuit

The off-ice controversies surrounding the team continue

This is the third major lawsuit brought against the organization within the past 18 months.

The Blackhawks were sued by a former cultural advisor last year for sexual harassment, breach of contract, and fraud. A former Blackhawks player, under the name "John Doe," filed suit in June for the team's failure to act when they were informed in 2010 of sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich (subscription required).

The team eventually settled with former first-round pick Kyle Beach for not properly addressing his allegations toward Aldrich (subscription required).

In early 2022, then-owner Rocky Wirtz's tirade toward reporters for asking what measures the team implemented to make sure nothing like that happens again only made things look worse for the club.

The franchise also faced some negative blowback after forgoing wearing Pride Night warmup jerseys on Pride Night at the United Center in 2023. The front office cited safety concerns for the three Russian players after Russia passed anti-gay legislation. Some were not buying the excuse since other NHL players were opting out, citing religious or personal beliefs against supporting LGBTQ+ rights

This latest lawsuit does not bode well for owner Danny Wirtz's leadership. Trust in him continues to erode as the franchise continues to rack up losses on the ice while lawsuits pile up off it.