A former New York Knicks general manager and a member of current Knicks coach Mike Brown’s family have been pulled into a legal dispute involving the Sacramento Kings.
Crystal Lee, a former Kings assistant athletic trainer, filed a lawsuit Aug. 11 in California Superior Court accusing Sacramento of pregnancy discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, among other allegations. The lawsuit also names Kings general manager Scott Perry in its account of how Lee says the organization responded when she raised concerns about her treatment.
Separately, Lee alleges that a son of Brown repeatedly harassed her while working as an intern for the Kings, according to The Athletic. Brown himself is not accused of wrongdoing in the lawsuit.
The Kings have denied Lee’s allegations.
“The Sacramento Kings categorically deny these allegations and reject the characterization of the organization and its workplace reflected in these claims made by a disgruntled former employee,” Kings attorney Alexis Gabrielson said in a statement obtained by The Athletic.
Scott Perry Accused of Dismissing Employee Complaint
Getty Former general manager Scott Perry of the New York Knicks talks on a phone as he attends a game between the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 7, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Perry is now the general manager of the Sacramento Kings.
Lee joined Sacramento in 2022 and alleges her working conditions changed after she informed team officials she was pregnant.
Among other claims, Lee alleges she lost travel responsibilities, was denied professional development opportunities and was eventually shifted largely into clerical work. She also alleges the organization failed to provide appropriate lactation accommodations.
Perry enters the case much later in the timeline.
The former Knicks executive was hired as Sacramento’s general manager in April 2025. According to the lawsuit, Lee eventually complained to Perry about her treatment after previously raising concerns with members of the Kings’ training staff.
Perry “merely told her that ‘complainers will not be tolerated,’” the lawsuit alleges, according to The Athletic.
Lee then went to human resources and was fired two months later, in June 2025, according to the complaint.
The allegations against Perry are particularly notable in New York because of his long history with the Knicks.
Perry served as Knicks general manager from 2017 through 2023. He is widely credited with overseeing the acquisitions of Julius Randle and drafting RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, who all played key roles in turning the franchise around once Leon Rose took over as team president.
He also briefly oversaw New York’s basketball operations after the Knicks parted ways with team president Steve Mills in 2020 before James Dolan hired Rose.
Knicks Coach Mike Brown’s Son Also Mentioned in Lawsuit
Getty Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The other New York connection involves Brown, who now coaches the Knicks.
Lee’s lawsuit alleges that one of Brown’s sons repeatedly harassed her while serving as an intern for Sacramento. The Athletic’s report does not identify the son by name in the passage detailing the allegation.
Again, the distinction is important: Mike Brown is not accused of misconduct in Lee’s lawsuit.
The suit separately accuses former Kings assistant and interim head coach Doug Christie of sexual harassment and names Sacramento senior director of athlete health Jas Randhawa as a defendant.
Sacramento has broadly rejected Lee’s characterization of its workplace, saying the organization takes allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously.
The case remains at its earliest stage. Lee’s allegations have not been proven in court, and the Kings have denied wrongdoing. She is seeking monetary damages and a jury trial, with an initial case management conference scheduled for June 8, 2027.
For the Knicks, there is no allegation of organizational involvement.
But the lawsuit carries two unmistakable New York connections: the executive who spent six years helping run the Knicks and the son of the coach now leading them.
Ex-Knicks GM Scott Perry, Mike Brown’s Son Dragged Into Kings Employee Lawsuit